The Kunoichi Diaries, Book One: Beginnings
by MistressPsyckoBookwormFreak
Summary: Hyuuga Hiashi decides to give his daughter Hinata a chance at success as clan heiress before writing her off as a failure. Instead of entering the Academy, she will be personally trained by Mitarashi Anko. Two other clans also volunteer their heiresses for this training: the Haruno and the Yamanaka.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes:_ I have a million different versions of this story scattered all over the dark nether regions of the internet. It's been an exercise in frustration. But I think I'm finally happy with this version, and I thought that deserved a brand-spanking-new fanfic account.

Let me know what you think.

 _Edit_ : Since people have been asking, the two previous versions of this story are "Blossoming Flowers" and "The Kunoichi Three." Go to the end of those stories and you will see notes telling you to come to this story. I know. It's confusing. I am a confusing person. :)

Also, I could not have written this book one without a number of research credits. Those will be in a long list at the end of the last chapter, in case you're curious and want to read further on any of the following subjects.

* * *

 **The Kunoichi Diaries**

 _ **Book One: Beginnings**_

1.

 _Anko POV_

The Hyuuga clan practically bathed in money. It was obvious from the moment you walked in. You half expected them to spend all their time twirling long mustaches and cackling evilly.

But no, I thought as I entered the Hyuuga clan compound through the square entrance on the north side of the compound wall, it was not that kind of place. Far too traditional. Set in a convenient and premium spot right in the middle of downtown, it was kept spotlessly beautiful by the Hyuuga clan branch retainers enslaved into doing the main family's bidding.

A low wall surrounded the compound on all sides. There were graceful arched roofs, rice paper screen doors, and beautiful natural greenery. The place carried all the stillness and silence of a teahouse garden, which actually didn't bother me as much as a surface viewer might think. I _could_ be quiet, when I wanted to be - I just usually didn't want to be.

I walked up the stone pathway and to the vast main door painted with the Hyuuga clan symbol, stopping before the two branch retainer guards. "I have a meeting with Hyuuga Hiashi," I said. Hiashi was the clan head, the ultimate main family leader, the Big Kahuna - though I never called him the last one to his face. Granted, it would be funny, but then he would probably kill me, so.

"Ah, yes, Mitarashi Anko. We've been expecting you." The guard wore the traditional male Hyuuga clan hair arrangement of a long dark mane tied back at the end in a distinctive style. The silvery, pupil-less eyes were ever-present. Also like most Hyuuga clan members, if he cracked a smile his face would split in half. I mentally nicknamed him Cheerless. He somehow managed to sound formal and threatening at the same time. My guard was up.

This whole thing made me uncomfortable. The missive had been a surprise. What could Hyuuga Hiashi want with me? I was loud and obnoxious, he was silent and formal and honestly kind of stuck up. It just didn't make any sense.

I took off my shoes, put them in a basket by the door, and led by a silent Cheerless, I padded in my bare feet through long wooden hallways hemmed in on either side by more rice paper screen doors. I could see paper lanterns periodically placed in upper corners to glow at night. One door I passed by was strategically open to display the lovely garden within, in the center courtyard. So they were trying to impress.

Huh. That was weird. I'd always kind of thought Hyuuga Hiashi had held me in contempt.

We turned a corner, and stepped off the main building, which ended in a three-sided square, padding along a stone pathway lined by another low wall and guarded with statues of fantastical beasts. The hedges beyond in the grass were trimmed in neat, circular shapes. In front of us, I could see a smaller but even more grand building with arched roofs and screens. This must be where the main family lived.

I could see another larger, simpler building beyond it, which meant the main family must be in the center, blocked in on all sides by branch retainer guards. Anyone trying to invade the compound would have to kill the branch family first, no matter which way they went. This would at least give one branch member time to sound the alarm, and the main family time to escape. It was both clever and horribly selfish.

I entered the main family's quarters, still led by Cheerless, and as I was padding along yet another hallway, I joked uneasily, "So… read any good books lately?"

Cheerless glared at me.

"Okay," I said, "apparently not. Not much of a reader. Got it."

Cheerless made a contemptuous little noise and faced forward stoically again. I'd seen it, though. Before he'd looked away he'd given my body a once-over: curvy, dressed in a short skirt and fishnet armor, with leg armor that made my shinobi sandals look like boots, surrounded by a long trench coat, muscular and lithe in a way that spoke of a Jounin.

That was another reason Hiashi didn't like me. I was too sexual.

So Cheerless had a working penis. _Great_.

I gave an evil grin and leaned an arm on his shoulder. He stopped, stiffening. "You know," I said suggestively, "I'm free after this. If you want, we could do something more… _exciting_ together after I'm done. I'm into the whole chain thing. Wanna top?"

Hyuuga Hiashi probably didn't want me sexually seducing any of his guards. But if he didn't want me to act like myself, he shouldn't have invited me.

Cheerless's face went beet-red and he glared at me, wide-eyed, alarmed, horrified, indignant, and probably kind of aroused. "Mitarashi, unhand me this instant!" he demanded.

"Well," I said, clapping him on the shoulder, "congratulations. You're a true Hyuuga. Stiff to the core."

"I _happen_ to have proper dignity and decorum, unlike you -!" Cheerless yelped in a high pitched sort of way.

"Yeah, yeah. Oh, forget it," I sighed, waving a hand and sauntering ahead of him. "Let's just get to the meeting."

As I passed by one screen doorway, I saw two pairs of silvery, pupil-less Hyuuga eyes peering, big and curious, out from a crack. I just registered in surprise that they belonged to two little dark-haired girls, but then there were squeaks and the door slammed shut.

Hiashi had two young daughters, born of an arranged marriage between himself and the most beautiful of all eligible main family women. Those must be them.

I paused outside a particularly large set of screens, painted beautifully with a forest scene containing a tranquil pond and lovely plumed peacocks. I paused, my eyes widening in surprise, hearing an argument within.

"You are going to give my daughter over to that vicious woman, someone who might well destroy her -!" A woman's voice.

"She is weak. If she is to be my heiress, she must grow stronger." Hiashi's voice, clinical and distant. So he wanted me to teach his eldest daughter? But her mother disagreed?

"She is just a child! And the only reason she won't hurt her sister is because she is kind, and gentle -!"

"Like you."

"Those are not bad traits!"

"Perhaps not in a wife!" Hiashi's voice had finally lashed out in anger, in a kind of growl, and it was truly formidable. "But in a clan head, yes!"

Hiashi's wife - Hanako, I thought was her name - did not seem fazed. "You are so busy trying to make her like you that you do not see her true worth," she said coldly. Then there was a sound of movement and the door was slammed open. Hanako gasped and looked up in surprise, seeing me and an uncomfortable Cheerless standing there. She had a round, graceful face and long dark hair. She wore silver robes, a trademark of Hyuuga main heads that Hiashi also shared.

I waved uneasily. She ignored me.

"Daichi." She turn to Cheerless, who apparently had a name. Her voice was very kind. "You're on duty, right? Stop by the kitchen and get some of those dumplings you like; say it's my orders. A guard must have nourishment in order to stand out in the hot sun for hours like that."

"Thank you, Hanako-sama," said Daichi awkwardly. "I do not mind the work."

"Of course you don't." She smiled fondly. Frankly, it was amazing she remembered a branch guard's name at all. Then she turned to me and her eyes grew cold. "Mitarashi-san," she said with a slight nod.

I raised an eyebrow, not particularly bothered. Angry Mother Alert, Angry Mother Alert. "Hyuuga-san," I returned with a similar slight nod. I was under no obligation to call anyone 'sama.' They weren't _my_ family.

Hanako brushed stiffly past me and padded on down the hall.

"Mitarashi. Come in." Hiashi's cold, clinical tone, more one of command than one of request. I found that irritating. What must it be like, being married to him? Or being his child? My sympathies went out to Hanako and her daughters.

"See ya later, Cheerless," I said, and I smirked when I felt him give one last glare to my back as I entered through the vast, painted screen doors and into Hiashi's office, which was covered in tatami mats and contained a vast, gold gilded, low-set desk that Hiashi knelt behind. I heard the door slide shut behind me, and then we were alone in the room together.

Hiashi's face was angular, lined, and strict, everything harsh and unfeeling, no soft curves anywhere. His hair was pristine and traditionally Hyuuga, his pupil-less grey eyes were cold, and a little furrow between his eyebrows gave him an air of perpetual annoyance. "Sit down," he said without preamble.

"You know what, Hiashi-san?" I cooed with a sickly sweet smile, getting right up in his face. "I think I prefer to stand." Hiashi held his head back slightly, glaring at me. His eyes didn't move in the direction of the voluptuous breasts that were fairly close to his face, but I could tell they wanted to.

So I was aware of my sex appeal, and I used it to my advantage. Sue me. It was called being a good kunoichi.

"Suit yourself," he finally said at last, his tone arctic cold. "But nevertheless, you _will_ hear me out."

"Of course, Hiashi-san," I cooed, standing back and still smiling a delightful sneer. I could tell it irritated him, which was why I kept doing it.

I saw a little tic going in his jaw, but he got right to business.

"I have proposed something to Hokage-sama, and he has agreed," said Hiashi. "Would you like to see the letter?" This time, _his_ tone was mocking. He smirked and handed over a missive.

It was short and to-the-point, in Hokage-sama's own handwriting. I took it curiously, and read the first few lines.

 _I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Third Hokage, do hereby decree that Hyuuga Hinata may be trained by Mitarashi Anko, or secondarily by another Jounin, in place of her upcoming Konoha Ninja Academy training. I further decree that she shall have two female teammates during this training, namely the other two ninja clan heiresses in her own year: Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura_.

"So you want me to accept," I realized, staring at the missive, "but I don't have to."

"That is correct."

I looked up, my eyes narrowing. "Hiashi," I said, "why are you requesting this?"

His nostrils flared and his killing intent rose. "You dare question me?"

"I have to know all the facts before I agree," I returned, glaring. "Surely _you_ can appreciate that." I sent my own killing intent back at him - a dangerous move, but I refused to be intimidated.

To my surprise, he smirked, as if approving, and the killing intent lessened. I felt as though I had just passed some bizarre test.

"My eldest daughter is my clan heiress, and yet she is weak," said Hiashi. "Hinata is extremely weak. She loses in fights not only against branch family members, but also against her own sister, who is several years younger than she is. She is currently unfit even to be considered as a potential clan head."

He already had them training and fighting one another? It was excessive and asshole-ish, but I supposed I shouldn't be surprised.

"Her real problem," Hiashi continued clinically, hands steepled, "is, I believe, a psychological one. She is too gentle and kind, not wanting to hurt anyone, and so she fails. When she fails, she internalizes the failure, and tells herself she is bad at the ninja arts."

"Do you _tell_ her she's a failure?" I asked. Hiashi glared at me. "Hey, it was just a question," I said, raising my hands. I thought maybe that could be a factor, ya know? "So you want me to fix her, so to speak. Make her a proper clan heiress. Why me?"

Here, Hiashi smirked. "Because despite how much I dislike you, Mitarashi Anko, you are the most vicious kunoichi Konoha has to offer. You hurt people just to watch them bleed."

I sighed and examined my fingernails. "Ah, so you _are_ capable of compliments, Hiashi-san," I cooed, sickly sweet once again. Then I sobered, looking up at him. "So either she'll break or she'll make it?"

"Precisely."

And the girl was was just turning eight - wow.

"May I meet her?"

"Yes, of course," said Hiashi, and he turned -

"Don't bother," I said coldly. "She's hiding right outside the door." I heard a soft gasp.

"She was eavesdropping?" said Hiashi in growing anger.

"Relax, Hiashi-san," I said. "I don't mind." So the girl had heard everything - had heard her father give her away to someone who might well break her. Had heard that she was currently unfit to be clan heiress.

Slowly, the door opened and a timid, frightened girl appeared, kneeling. I recognized her as one of the pairs of big eyes from behind the door down the hall a few minutes ago. Close up, she had short Prussian blue hair, Hyuuga eyes with no pupils the color of rose quartz, fawn skin, and a round, graceful face like her mother's. She was dressed in a beautiful, dignified, cool colored sweater and pants set - this was a girl who wanted for nothing, and her soft hands said she was unused to hard work.

She shuffled forward on her knees and bowed low to me, both dignified and clearly frightened. "M-Mitarashi-san," she said softly, "p-please make me a worthwhile Hyuuga and kunoichi." She was shaking slightly. Hiashi's nose was wrinkled, his eyes cold and disapproving, as he stared at his daughter.

I smiled, genuinely this time, trying to be friendly, and kneeled down to her level. "We're both different," I said brightly, pointing to her hair. She looked up in surprise. "From a distance, we both look like we have black hair and white skin, but we don't. We're unique." My own thick hair, which was tied up in a clip behind my head, was the color of amethyst. My skin was khaki - like her, my skin was yellow instead of white.

Hinata smiled back at me, brightening.

"Mitarashi. Do not coddle her. Keep a strict eye on her," said Hiashi in a hard voice. Hinata's smile faded and she looked over at him hesitantly. I nodded and stood swiftly, cold.

"I accept. I will make her a proper ninja," I said. "But first, I must also meet with the two other families whose daughters will be under my care. I will let you know through a missive when I am ready for Hinata."

I'd have asked for his email, but I think that the suggestion might have made even Hyuuga Hiashi laugh till tears came to his eyes. Did he even have an email? Seemed too stiff and traditional. Maybe not.

"Very well, Mitarashi-san. I thank you on behalf of the Hyuuga clan," said Hiashi, nodding with dignity.

"I thank you on behalf of the Hyuuga clan, Mitarashi-sensei," said Hinata quickly, once more bowing low to the floor.

I looked down at her expressionlessly, and felt an odd stirring of pity that I had to forcefully quash. "Anko," I said. "You can call me Anko-sensei." And I walked out of the office.

I probably should have bowed my way out. But fuck it, they needed me and I'd never liked Hiashi anyway.

* * *

 _Hinata POV_

"To eavesdrop on an important conversation! You are a shame to the Hyuuga clan!" my father boomed, and I bowed low before his desk, tears in my eyes.

"I am sorry, Father. I - I just wanted to -"

"No excuses!"

"Yes, Father."

"Leave."

I paused, a cold, heavy weight growing inside of me. I felt like I wanted to cry, but I knew this wasn't proper for a Hyuuga clan heiress. I wanted so badly to please my father, but every time I seemed to come up short.

Perhaps Anko-sensei could change that. She had even managed to unsettle Daichi with her flirting; she was good at throwing around killing intent; she was everything I had always read a young kunoichi ought to be. Whatever she threw at me, I would try my hardest, I promised myself. No matter how vicious she was.

"Hinata. Leave. I do not enjoy repeating myself."

"... Yes, Father," I said quietly.

As I was padding back down the hall, still deep in troubled thought, I saw Neji appear before me. I paused, gasping, my eyes widening, feeling fear - despite myself. My cousin Neji was a branch family member, but a talented one. Out of some sense of bitterness, he was always vicious to me out on the sparring mats. He reminded me of my father - sneering and cold.

Neji was more philosophical, though. He thought himself very abstract, always speaking of fate and spending hours meditating each day in the exact same position.

"N-Neji-nii-san."

"When you bow your head to a branch family member, you do your status a discredit," said Neji quietly, arms folded. My eyes widened in surprised. Had my head been bowed? In fear, perhaps. I forced myself to straighten.

"Neji-nii-san, I must pass," I said, and my voice barely shook at all. "This is main family territory. You do not belong here."

Neji's face twisted. "I heard you have a new Sensei," he said, "that she has been assigned to make you a proper clan heiress." I wondered privately _where_ he had heard this. "It will be of no use," he said. "You were fated to be weak and yet be a main family member, Hinata-sama. Just as I was fated to be strong and yet be a branch family member."

I looked down, choking back my tears. "Branch family practices cause you much undeserved suffering, Neji-nii-san," I managed to force out.

Neji's eyes widened. Then he scoffed and brushed past me, storming on down the hall.

I reentered my room, wiping my eyes in shame - even at not crying, I could not succeed - only to find my little sister Hanabi still in my room. She looked more like Father: long black hair, an angular face. "You should be happy," she said curiously. "You will be getting strong. You have a new Sensei."

"Yes, Hanabi," I sniffled, sitting down beside her. "But - but what if I fail?"

"You will not fail." We turned around to find our mother standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry," she sighed, seeing us. "At first, he wanted to have you two spar so Hanabi could win and _she_ could be made clan heiress. When I said I refused to pit our daughters against each other and make them resent one another, he said he would have to come up with something else. I had no idea he meant this." She kneeled down sympathetically across from us. "He is determined to have his perfect heiress," she said. "One way or another."

I sniffed again. "Father wanted sons, didn't he?" I said. "Sons like Neji."

Our mother smiled; her eyes were pained. "I think he would have understood a son like Neji better," was all she said. Then she gathered us up into her arms, in a warm hug. "Everything will be alright," she said softly, and I immediately relaxed, feeling soothed. "Just try your hardest. And if it doesn't work out… I will personally intervene for you."

Steel had entered her tone. For a moment, I questioned my assumption that Father was the strong one, and Mother was the kind one.

* * *

 _Anko POV_

My next visit was to Haruno Sakura's house. While the long-well-established Hyuuga clan had their all seeing eyes and their special, deceptively soft and graceful Gentle Fist hand to hand style, the Haruno clan were illusions specialists. Sakura's grandmother, known for her exotic pink hair, had supposedly been the greatest illusions specialist of them all. Her son had also taken up illusions, and he had met his current wife, a fellow genjutsu master, during the Chuunin Exams. He had been impressed by her abilities, and eventually they had fallen in love, amassing a great amount of money through their own and the father's mother's talents, starting a clan. Sakura was a third-generation ninja and a second-generation clan heiress to a one-family clan.

They were also downtown, but not in a clan compound. Instead, I went down mansion row, which was a series of tall, fancy, brilliantly colored houses with surrounding lawns. This was where the newer clans lived. There, I found the Haruno home. On the outside, it was a soft yellow with reddish-brown trim, a Victorian style place with two stories, an upper balcony, and a series of front steps leading up to a vast, stained-glass door. There was an overhang jutting off to the right side, and a stony path led around through the overhang and to a series of fruit and flower trees in the back garden, in the distance. The Haruno clan symbol hung from the top of the overhang, painted on a little cloth.

I climbed the front steps and knocked briskly. It was slightly chilly that morning, and I jumped up and down to keep warm. I'd called and made plans ahead of time.

The door opened at once - I stopped jumping abruptly - and standing there were Sakura's parents, Haruno Mebuki and Haruno Kizashi. Mebuki was a stern-looking, serious woman with lines around her mouth and eyes, a bob of brunette hair, pale skin, and green eyes, wearing a kunoichi dress. Kizashi had wild purple hair of a lighter shade than mine, sideburns, and a mustache. He had brown skin, and he wore a kimono shirt and pants.

"Anko!" said Kizashi jovially, his arm opened in welcome. "Come right in! Have some tea!" He was obviously the more easygoing, extroverted, and charismatic of the two.

"Idiot!" Mebuki snapped, fiery and tough. "She's here on official business!"

"I'm just being nice!"

"You're always embarrassing me!"

" _You're_ the one who takes things too seriously all the time!"

I laughed uneasily. "Haruno-san," I said, raising my hands, "I am here on official business, but I'd love some tea."

* * *

"I'm worried about my daughter," said Mebuki intently, leaning toward me across the table, as Kizashi poured the tea. "We gave her the name Sakura when she was born with a full head of pink hair. We thought that was a guarantee she'd be something great, like her grandmother."

"But?"

"But she's shy and underconfident and obsessed with being girlish. She has no skills in either the kunoichi arts or the ninja arts, and furthermore she shows no interest in them! As it is, we can't teach her about genjutsu at all!" Mebuki threw up her hands.

I must have seemed surprised because Kizashi added uneasily, "Without wanting to cause an argument, I do think Mebuki is too hard on our daughter. But the essence of what she says is correct. Sakura never shows how she really feels, and she shows no confidence at all. She has no friends. I worry, too."

I sat back, looking around in thought. The inside of the mansion was as beautiful as the outside. While the Hyuuga had clan retainers to do their cleaning for them, I knew the Haruno and the Yamanaka both simply hired a maid, and the Harunos' maid did a good job. The house looked almost staged. Was that just for my benefit? There were fancy rugs, polished wood floors, vases full of flowers on little end tables. The furniture was all shining wood, as was the staircase, and a long row of huge curving trapezium-shaped windows on the far wall looked out over the back garden full of trees.

We were sitting at the dining table by the windows. I could sense Sakura sitting obediently up in her room.

I took my steaming cup of tea and sipped it for strength. "So what are you hoping for with Sakura's training? That she grow in confidence and let out what she feels a little more?"

"And possibly not be so obsessed with being the perfect little girl," said Mebuki. "I'd like her a little tougher and okay with imperfection. I'm just not sure how to tell her that."

So Hiashi wanted me to break the cycle of gentleness and depression. Mebuki wanted me to break the cycle of underconfidence and perfectionism.

"I take it you've also already talked with Hokage-sama?" I asked rhetorically.

"He talked with all three families before making the decree," said Kizashi, nodding his head in a content sort of way.

"Alright… can I see her?"

* * *

Haruno Sakura was brought before me. She had a short head of carnation pink hair, just the same shade as her infamous genjutsu mistress grandmother's, and spring green eyes. Her face was heart-shaped, long, scruffy bangs obviously trying to hide the largest part of that face, and her skin was sand-colored with pink rose undertones. She wore a nice shirt and cargo pants.

She stood in front of me, her parents' hands on her shoulder, her own hands held together and her shoulders hunched. She looked up at me hesitantly.

"Sakura," I said, nodding, "how are you?"

"F-fine, Anko-sensei," said Sakura shyly. She had the perfect little girlish face and the perfect little girlish voice.

"Sakura," I said thoughtfully, "have you ever wanted to punch someone? Like, really hard?"

Her parents stared at me in bewilderment. Sakura's eyes widened and she shook her head quickly, pink hair bouncing. "N-no, Anko-sensei! N-never!"

But I'd seen it. A certain gleam in her eye.

"Now, me," I said casually, sipping my tea, "I want to punch people in the face all the time. You know, cold cock 'em. Punch their lights out. I hold myself back most of the time, but you know, there's no shame in that. You've just gotta wanna punch someone for the right reasons. You get me?"

Sakura looked up at me hesitantly, suddenly suspicious. I got a glimpse of another person there, hidden underneath the surface - a darker, far different one.

"Yes, Anko-sensei," she said quietly. "I get you."

I nodded. "Anyone in particular you're talking about?" I asked, faux casual.

She scowled. "... A couple of people," she muttered, looking away.

Called it. Perfectionism and underconfidence, no known friends. A classic case of bullying. She repressed her feelings and made herself a smaller target.

I left shortly afterward. I saw what I came to see.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

How had she known?

My mother had sent me out into the street to go play. I was walking along, troubled and thoughtful. How had she known, when those other girls picked on me, how much I wanted to scream instead of hunch myself over, how much I wanted to punch instead of cry?

I'd been so good, I thought. I always tried so hard - to be pretty, to be the perfect little girl with the perfect grades who always did what her parents wanted her to do. I tried to be cool, to look down on the people who weren't like me.

It never worked. I was still picked on mercilessly by Ami and her posse. But I tried, nonetheless.

And this Anko lady, she had seen right through me. She saw the thing in myself that I most feared, the thing I most tried to hide. And that frightened me.

"Well, what do you know, if it isn't Forehead Girl!" The jeer came from behind me. I froze. Turned slowly around in dread.

There was always dread, somewhere in the back of my mind, when I was here in the streets. There they were: Ami and her posse.

Ami was a smug, cruel little girl with purple hair like Anko-sensei's. Unlike Anko-sensei's, however, it was cut short in an uneven bob, an artistic thing that was as cool as Ami herself. She always had a group of girls following her around everywhere, tittering as she spewed her narrow-minded opinions to the world.

"So what are you going to do, Forehead Girl? You're too weak to enroll in ninja school! You could try being a prostitute. Or a maid. Or a waitress. No, wait, scratch two of those, you're far too ugly." Jeering laughter.

Tears filled my eyes. For the thousandth time, I wondered: Why me? What was wrong with me? Why did I attract people like this?

"I'm going to be trained by a private Jounin, Ami," I forced out, looking down, lip trembling, voice choked up. I hated myself. "Not like _you_." My fists were clenched at my sides.

Ami's face darkened. "You filthy little liar," she said. "You and your hideous forehead can just go straight to hell!"

Then, suddenly, they reared out with punches and kicks. "Forehead Girl! Forehead Girl!" they called.

I curled in on myself, crying and crying. _Screw you! All of you! I'm going to be great, damnit!_ Inner Sakura screamed in my mind, rearing for a punch back.

Inner Sakura had been created by Outer Sakura, because Outer Sakura just cried and cried.

In that moment, I promised herself - I would do whatever fearful Anko-sensei asked of me. Whatever it took to be stronger and more confident than Ami.

* * *

 _Anko POV_

My final visit was to Yamanaka Ino's house. The Yamanaka specialized in mind reading, and mind and body control. They were also sometimes called the spider clan, because of their unique ability to control those around them and make them do their bidding, like flies on webbed strings, because of their ability to read others' minds and weave them into a web of deception.

The Yamanaka space downtown was again different. It was fronted by Yamanaka Flowers, Ino's mother's flower shop. The shop sign advertising "Yamanaka Flowers" carried the Yamanaka clan symbol, though Ume herself was no longer a kunoichi. She was a stay at home mother instead. Her husband was Yamanaka clan head, and quite a famous ninja, but he had spurned clan tradition to marry an outsider, a Chuunin from a civilian family, who had then retired and opened a flower shop.

One went behind the shop, and found the vast cottage the Yamanaka called home. It was a long, rambling stone building with pointed roofs and a front porch with white pillars. Smoke curled out of the chimney.

I went up to the door and knocked once more.

This time, a servant answered. "Please come in," she said, peeking hesitantly around the doorframe, standing aside and ushering me within the contents. I stepped out of my shoes and entered.

There were Yamanaka Inoichi and Yamanaka Ume. Ume was a stiff woman with a tight bun of brown hair and strict lines in her face; Inoichi had a gruff, square face with a samurai's ponytail of blond hair. Both were dressed formally: Ume in a long dress with a brooch and a high lace collar that went practically up to her chin, Inoichi in a high-ranking ninja's vest. They were sitting together seriously, having tea, and did not immediately move to look at me when I came in. They gave off an air of cool, studied indifference.

The cottage around them was quaint. A vast stone fireplace was on the east side, armchairs set around it. A dining table set with a bowl of fresh fruit stood nearby. The whole place had the sort of cluttered but old-fashioned air of an antiques shop, and out in the back through the kitchen window was the vast field of flowers where Yamanaka Flowers got most of their materials.

"Mitarashi Anko." I turned to Inoichi, who had spoken. He waved to a third armchair. "Please sit."

I settled hesitantly down in the armchair, which immediately sank low and seemed to be trying to eat me alive. They had given me the sinking chair. "Yamanaka-san," I said, struggling desperately to sit upright as the Yamanaka watched in veiled amusement. I had the feeling they were reading my mind and I did not appreciate it. "I hear you want me to teach your daughter Ino."

"That is correct," said Ume.

"What would you like as far as improvement?"

Ume raised an eyebrow. "Improvement?"

I flushed. "All the other parents, they had goals for what they wanted their daughter to learn from me, and -"

"Ah, yes," said Ume. "Ino is perfect. We have nothing to improve in her. We volunteered her because we know she can handle anything you throw at her."

"We also want her to be taught by the best," added Inoichi quickly. "Anko. I knew you in Black Ops. You're the best."

"I thank you, Inoichi," I said cautiously. "But where is -?"

Suddenly, a little girl rolled out from a piled rug in the corner. She'd suppressed her chakra so well I hadn't noticed her. "HA!" She came at me with a blunted kunai knife, I unleashed my own, and the metals clashed against each other.

I finally saw Yamanaka Ino up close. She smirked and straightened, removing the kunai and bowing. "Anko-sensei," she said smugly.

Well, I thought, no confidence issues in this one. But perhaps a set of parents who pushed their daughter far too hard.

Ino had a short head of platinum blonde hair, powder blue eyes (like Hinata's, they had no pupils; Ino used her eyes to lock into a person's mind, just as Hinata used hers to see things others could not), and skin so pale it was the color of gypsum. Her face was the desirable oval. She wore fashionable clothes, a choker necklace, a hair barrette, and even jewelry.

"Yamanaka Ino," I said in surprise, "you… are not like the others."

Ino smiled slyly. "In a good way?" Her eyes were hard - determined.

"... Yes," I decided cautiously. Then I smirked and upped the killing intent a little. "Think you can handle me?"

And to my surprise, Ino consciously upped hers. "Oh," she said, lifting her chin, "I think I can."

Her parents smiled.

But in the back of my mind, I wondered: how did an eight year old already know how to throw around killing intent?

* * *

 _Ino POV_

The minute Anko had left, my Dad said, "Very good. Now - back to your training." He nodded and pointed to the dark back training room.

"Yes, Dad." I walked past my mother in the kitchen.

"Do well," she said reservedly. My mother had given up on being a ninja and I knew she didn't want the same for me. My father was a Black Op; he knew the hard side of ninja life.

I trained four hours a day. I had to. Much was expected of me, and I was determined not to lose. The four hours would be continued throughout Anko-sensei's training, it had been decided.

"I was different." Well, of course I was different! I trained harder, knew more, didn't I? I was determined to be the perfect kunoichi: fashionable, seductive, deadly, talented, and cruel.

I smirked as I walked into the back room. There was much work to be done.

Now it was all a matter of waiting for Anko-sensei to call on me. I knew I had left a good first impression. And I would do whatever it took to succeed and be a boon to my parents and my clan, live up to their expectations of me.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

 _All POV_

On the appointed day, Hinata, Ino, and Sakura met outside a certain apartment door, each clutching a piece of paper with the address in their hand and looking confused.

"So I guess you're my teammates?" said Ino rhetorically, looking them over, hands on her hips.

Sakura nodded shyly. "Anko-sensei, right?"

"I wonder why she had us meet here," said Hinata worriedly, staring around herself. "It's quite a humble place. N-not that there's anything wrong with that!" she added quickly.

The apartment building was indeed humble: long concrete corridors with plain doors, threadbare carpet, and a positively tiny bottom-floor desk.

"I heard Anko-sensei has no money," said Ino bossily. "All she has is what she makes from her ninja missions. She's not from a clan. She gave herself the surname Mitarashi."

"So she'll have nothing to teach us?" said Sakura in confusion. "But she seems so strong!"

"Not so fast," said Ino. "Think about it. Anko-sensei's a Jounin and she's been in ANBU Black Ops. I even heard her teacher was one of the best ninja Konoha has ever seen - and she impressed him enough to have him teach her. She did all that on her own. How strong and dedicated must she be?"

Hinata and Sakura's eyes widened in realization.

Suddenly, the door whirled open and Anko was revealed to be standing there, expressionless. The girls all gasped and looked up - Hinata and Sakura hesitantly, Ino defiantly.

"You can all stop talking about me now," said Anko sarcastically, hand on her hip, "and come into my house." She stood aside.

The apartment was full of salvaged metal pieces and bright, pop-up art graphic drawings on black walls. Most of the shelves were made from cinder blocks, and the kitchen table was vintage and repurposed. A huge snake was coiled in a vast glass enclosure in a corner. Sakura jumped and inched away from the snake a bit.

"Your ikebana arrangements are really intricate," said Ino quietly, looking at the fresh flower arrangements dotted around the walls. Most of them were vast sculptures, featuring large branches and leaves; some of them were Moribana, a large piling-up of flowers all slanted steeply in the same direction.

"I have a room in the back specifically dedicated to tea ceremony, too," said Anko. "Low-set table, tatami mats, rice paper screens, alcoves, the whole deal. What?" she said when they stared. "I can be girly when I want to be."

She went to the small kitchen and said casually, "Sit down, make yourselves at home. I've prepared green tea and dango dumplings as a snack."

They all sat down in the dim room, still staring around themselves curiously.

Anko set a cup of tea in front of each of them and a plate of dango sticks in the center of the kitchen table. Each girl took one and when they'd begun munching happily, Anko sat back and said, "Okay. Now comes introductions. My name is Mitarashi Anko and I don't need to introduce myself since Ino's apparently done that for me. Thanks."

Ino blushed.

"But this is your opportunity to get to know each other. Say your given name, your clan name, and what your family consists of."

Hinata swallowed and wiped her hands delicately. "My name is Hinata. I am a Hyuuga," she said. "My father is the head of the clan. I also have a mother, a younger sister, and an older male cousin."

"My name is Ino. My surname is Yamanaka. My father is the head of our clan, too," said Ino, waving casually. "I'm an only child, but I have both my parents. My mother is a stay-at-home Mom. My dad works for ANBU."

"I-I am Sakura. I am a Haruno," said Sakura, looking around herself, shy but curious. "I have both my parents, and they are working ninja. We are a one-family clan. My grandmother is a super-famous first generation ninja, but she died before I was born."

"Alright!" said Anko, clapping her hands. "Stand up! This apartment is where we'll do a lot of our training, but I've also booked a regular training field for us for the next four years and I want to show it to you."

* * *

They arrived at training field 24, a wide, fenced-off place on the outskirts of Konoha. It contained a grass field surrounded on three sides by dark green forest. A brook bubbled in the distance. Three wood posts stood in the center of the field.

"Most standard Konoha training fields look like this," said Anko. "It's important that you have all the elements and all the materials you need in order to train."

The three of them walked slowly into the center of the field, staring around themselves. Wind whistled through the leaves, a bird chirped nearby. "It's so quiet and peaceful," said Hinata softly in surprise.

"Yeah, for now." Hinata gasped and whirled around to Anko, who was smirking. "During training, things can get pretty loud and bloody. Just you wait." She grinned. "I'm looking forward to it."

Hinata swallowed, paling.

"That brings me to your introduction to ninja themselves," said Anko. "There's something I need you to hear. I bet you think you know everything there is about being a ninja. You don't."

The girls all paused, turning to look at their Sensei in surprise.

"At the dawn of time, ninja were not heavy-battle types. They were not honorable warriors. Instead, ninja used subtle methods, hiding and stealth, and they did on their own what it took hundreds of armed soldiers to accomplish. Ninja chose the dark way and the quiet way, and that's what I want you to do.

"The whole point of being a ninja is to do as much as possible while exposing yourself to the least amount of risk possible. Can you hide and kill someone instead of charge at them and kill them? Then do that.

"What?" she said mockingly when they looked surprised. "Honor? Pride? Are you living in some sort of fairy tale? Such things don't apply to a ninja. Ninja have no honor. Remember that. For a ninja, the only kind of honor is to win.

"So before we get into this, I want you to know upfront - you're supposed to specialize in deception and trickery. You're supposed to fight from the shadows, and undermine in a soft way instead of a hard way whenever possible. Psychology. Espionage. Those are the tools of a ninja.

"But for a woman who is a ninja, for a kunoichi, there is more. We are not only trained in the fighting arts, but in the seductive arts. Most of the powerful people in the world are still men. We are trained to seduce our way into bed with them, get information from them, slit their throats, and run."

The girls' eyes had widened.

"It's grim, but that's how it is," said Anko. "Typical Academy kunoichi arts teachers will put lots of fancy words around it - 'feminine wiles', etc. Here's the reality.

"Sex is an act two people do in bed. Usually it's for the purpose of having children, but it is pleasurable enough that people do it for fun all the time. When a man calls a woman attractive, usually he means attractive in a sexual way.

"A lot of men will do anything for good sex. Especially if you get them drunk first. They will be stupid, let valuable information spill, fall asleep and let their guard down. This is when we swoop in for the attack.

"So that's the other side to ninja training as a woman. You must learn how to put on an act, become attractive and sexually seduce a man, let valuable information slip from him, and kill him with a weapon hidden somewhere on your person - all without implicating your village in the assault, without getting caught, without remorse, and without falling in love."

Hinata raised her hand. "Is the sex act… scary?" she asked worriedly.

"It involves a man putting his genitalia in a woman's genitalia and pumping it in and out," said Anko flatly. "It's also known as 'fucking'."

"... Oh," said Hinata, who clearly did not find this reassuring at all.

Ino was excited, leaning forward eagerly. This woman meant business. She was the kind of woman Ino wanted to be. She was blunt and honest and cruel about things. Ino liked that.

"So basically… you're going to teach us how to be good spies and mercenaries for our village?" said Sakura, hesitant but morbidly fascinated.

Anko smirked. "Precisely. You'll start training at age eight, and train till age twelve. Only at that point will you join the ninja forces."

* * *

 _Anko POV_

The first thing I did was take them around the local grocery store with a gigantic grocery cart.

"Always be sure to eat three big meals a day," I said, all-business. "Or several smaller meals a day. I'm going to be training you hard, so this is vital in order that you don't pass out. But remember to always eat at least half an hour before you start exercising, so you let your food digest. Exercising on an empty stomach is not good, but exercising on a full stomach is not good either - you'll throw up."

The girls looked sufficiently timid and intimidated, so I thought I'd made my point.

"So we go around the perimeter of the store," I said, going around and throwing food in the cart as we passed. "Fruit. Vegetables. Bread. Cereal. Pasta. Rice. Meat. Poultry. Seafood. Beans. Peas. Nuts. Yogurt. Eggs. Milk. Seeds. Hummus. Guacamole. And lots and lots of water. Drinks are important so you don't pass out, too."

I took them back to my apartment, and taught them how to make several dishes: Pasta. Rice. Meat, poultry, and seafood dishes - sushi, cooked seafood, cured and pickled meat and poultry dishes, baked meat and poultry dishes. Stews, chilis, and casseroles. Egg dishes. Soups. I also taught them how to cure and pickle vegetables. Toast was another basic staple, as was fruit and nuts in yogurt. I taught them how to prepare tofu. I taught them how to make natto - a kind of fermented soybean paste - and green tea each morning for breakfast.

I could tell they were having fun - making mistakes, learning how to make delicious and healthy things. I had them eat what they made afterward, so that they found rewards in cooking and eating early on. It was important to me that they learn this, before they started exercising and before society got to them.

I also had another purpose. I was luring them into a false sense of security.

At last, I told them casually, "Make yourself a good meal tomorrow morning, because that's when we start working out. Meet at the training field at 5 AM."

They brightened, looking excited. The poor, naive fools.

* * *

To my surprise, they made it on time. That was impressive.

"Alright," I said as they stood before me, half asleep, "start running laps around the field. I'll tell you when to stop."

So they went off slowly and sluggishly to start running laps.

And all of a sudden I changed drastically. This was the fun part.

"RUN FASTER! _RUN FASTER!_ WHAT KIND OF NINJA ARE YOU?! ARE YOU STUPID!? MY GRANDMA RUNS BETTER THAN YOU! _RUN FASTER!"_ I began running beside them, screaming in their ear. Ino easily pulled ahead, determined and running faster than any of them.

"Come on, guys, follow me!" she called in exasperation.

"ARE YOU THE LEADER OF THIS TEAM, YAMANAKA?! YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN ME?!"

"Sensei, I was just -!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!" I screamed right in her ear.

Ino swallowed. "I said, No, ma'am!" she shouted back. And she ran silently to herself after that.

They ran faster and faster, at top speed, because someone was quite literally chasing them. Sakura was crying. I yelled louder at her.

"WHAT'S WRONG, HARUNO?! CAN'T HANDLE THE PRESSURE?!"

Hinata gasped. Ino looked angry and ready to intervene.

"I can't do this," Sakura sobbed.

"What was that?!"

"I can't do this…"

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US, DAMNIT, YOU CRAZY TEACHER?!" Sakura at last screamed to the skies. Then she gasped and put a hand over her mouth, looking terrified. All three girls froze.

I straightened, smirking. "I wondered when she'd be making an appearance. Inner Sakura." Sakura looked down in shame. "Don't be embarrassed," I said. "Outer Sakura will not survive my training sessions. But Inner Sakura might."

Sakura looked up in surprise as I walked away. Then she looked down in thought.

So when we started running again, Sakura shouted back.

"RUN FASTER!"

"I AM RUNNING FASTER, DAMNIT!"

Turned out Sakura had a little crazy tucked down deep inside her. And she seemed to enjoy letting it out to play. The longer she shouted back at me, the more her running got faster and faster, and the more aggressive she got.

Ino, who had been first, suddenly had competition for top spot. She began running faster to get ahead of Sakura, and then they had a kind of competition to see who could run the fastest. But Hinata was lagging far behind.

I attacked when she finally stopped to get air.

"CAN'T HANDLE THE HEAT, HYUUGA?! WHY AREN'T YOU RUNNING?!"

"Sensei, I'm not good at any of this!" Hinata cried, eyes squinted shut, pained.

"Fuck you." Hinata gasped, looking up. My face had twisted. "You're just as good as everyone else, Hyuuga. If it weren't so goddamned easy to get you thinking badly about yourself, you'd probably be running better than anyone."

"But I can't -!"

"I don't want to hear that you _can't!_ I want to hear that you _can!_ Stop wallowing in self pity, Hyuuga, it ain't attractive!"

"But Sensei -!"

All of a sudden, a kunai knife went right past her, nicking her cheek. She gasped, stilling. I gave an unhinged smile and upped the killing intent a little. "Let me put it to ya this way," I said. "Start running. Or you'll learn just how much I love the taste of blood, even outside the bedroom."

Ino and Sakura, who had paused to stare, gasped and went to move forward, but I put up a hand and they stopped. I got right up in Hinata's terrified face.

"... Start running," I said quietly.

And then she screamed as I began chasing her, throwing kunai at her. I cackled madly. Little known to her, they were all aimed perfectly to just miss her, no matter how slow she ran. But sure enough - she ran faster.

She had it inside her. She just didn't know it.

* * *

I picked on Hinata particularly from then on. Though I did spend some time with all of them. Every time I yelled at Ino and Sakura, they shouted back at me - Sakura quickly learned to put her aggressive and determined side forward, Ino to tamp down a little bit on her dominating personality and exercise with the others on a more equal footing. We fell into a kind of rhythm.

But Hinata was clearly miserable.

She was timid and shaking, gasping for air, her beautiful hands slowly becoming scratched up and her body increasingly exhausted, as I picked on her and picked on her, yelling at her continually. "RUN FASTER, HYUUGA! I WANT YOU TO RUN FASTER!" Sometimes I would throw kunai strategically in her direction when she was lagging behind.

And we just did nothing but eat and work out, seven days a week. When it started snowing, we moved from the training field to the gym and just kept right on doing what we had been doing all along. The girls quickly grew long hair and learned to put it up in ponytails, and traded their former outfits for running clothes, as their former outfits were immediately ruined. I recommended loose, light cotton, especially in underwear, throwing them a bone. We always started our workout with calisthenics, but after that what we did varied.

Some days we did endless numbers of pushups, situps, and pullups from a tree branch, giving them plenty of nice splinters to pick out later.

Some days we climbed up and down hills and stairs at high, running speeds.

Some days we swam laps around the pool, or did rock climbing.

Some days we did weight lifting.

And then some days we did crawling. That was right, crawling. They went to a muddy training field covered in explosive tag rigged ninja wire, and had to crawl across the long field underneath the wire without setting off any of the tags. Were the tags prepped? Hell no. Did I tell them that? Of course not!

And so the three girls were squelching along through the mud, Ino and Sakura going determinedly forward.

"MA'AM THIS SUCKS!" Sakura screamed back at me.

"I CONCUR, MA'AM!" Ino echoed in a call.

"THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING UP?!" I screamed from the other side of the field.

"MA'AM NO MA'AM!"

And they crawled at high speeds across the field, competing with one another to see who could move faster. But Hinata, once more, was lagging behind, getting more and more down on herself. She was already bloody because a couple of kunai had nicked her, her callused hands and her body were covered in mud. She squelched along, getting further and further behind. She was, of course, afraid she would die.

At last, she stopped.

"Ma'am, I can't do this!" she realized, blinking back the tears that were blinding her eyes.

"SHUT UP AND KEEP CRAWLING!" I yelled.

"Ma'am, I give up!" Hinata called in a pained voice. Sakura and Ino gasped and looked backward.

"Hinata!"

"You can't do that!"

"YOU'RE NOT GIVING UP ON ANYTHING UNTIL YOU GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS FIELD, HYUUGA, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING OUT THERE TO COME GET YOU!" I called, giving nothing away.

Sakura and Ino looked around at each other determinedly - and nodded. They crawled back over to Hinata, and Sakura grabbed her hand. "Come with us," they said, and they got their teammate across the field.

I stood there, neutral, arms crossed. "Excellent job, Ino and Sakura," I said. "Any good Konoha ninja values and protects their teammates."

Ino smirked and Sakura brightened.

"Now leave," I said. "I want to talk to Hinata."

They looked between us curiously as they left. Hinata wouldn't look me in the eye. She seemed down-beaten and terrified.

I sighed and sat down beside her. "So you quit, huh?" I said. Hinata paused in surprise. "So what do you do from here? Go running home to Mommy and have her get in trouble with your Daddy for you? Disappoint Daddy yet again?"

Hinata looked away, depressed and ashamed.

"D'you know why I pick on you, Hyuuga?" I asked suddenly. "It's because you have a lot of potential." Hinata looked up at me, surprised and confused. "You're just too gentle and timid. You're gonna have to get over that if you ever wanna be a ninja, you know.

"Look at it this way," I said. "Either you're training or someone's trying to kill you. Right? Well, when someone's trying to kill you, you _have_ to kill them. And no thoughts about how well you are doing should enter your mind. You should just try your hardest to win. Get into the present moment. Don't think about anything else.

"But say you're training and the person's weaker than you. You have to be harsh when you're training, too, because you're trying to save your comrade's life. Do you see?"

Hinata paused, and shook her head.

"Say you always lose in fights against your little sister," I said. "Say you don't try your hardest against her. Say the enemy _does_ try their hardest against her, and she dies. You could have prevented that. Don't you see? Being gentle _hurts_ the other person. It doesn't help them. That's ridiculous."

Hinata's eyes had widened in realization.

"In the third situation, you're training and the person's better than you. Well, then they're a person you aspire toward. Think of it as fun. Think of it as a challenge. You know, like how Sakura and Ino compete? Try to approach it like that. You don't have to take it so seriously." I stood. "I know you don't think you're much of a competitor. But I think you're wrong. I'm hard on you because I believe in you, Hinata." I walked away and threw over my shoulder, "Think twice before turning that away!"

I left a silent and pondering Hinata behind me.

* * *

 _Hinata POV_

That night, as usual, we did clan sparring in the Hyuuga compound. I fought Hanabi. I told myself I had to help her get stronger and survive, and it changed the whole tone of the fight for me. I fought hard and determined, and I beat her. I did. And periodically, every time she fell, I would pause and explain to her calmly what she'd done wrong and how she could do better. I also noticed I lasted much longer as a fighter than I would have a few months ago. My strength and stamina were better. I could see my father watching me thoughtfully.

We all had dinner later around the low-set Hyuuga main family dining table, kneeling in seiza style, Father at the head.

"Well, and Hinata," he said, "how was your training today?"

Here it was. My big chance to give up.

I paused, and then I allowed myself to say instead, "... I think I did well today." And the words felt - amazingly good.

My father's eyebrows lifted and my mother looked surprised and concerned as well. "Really?"

"Yes. Anko-sensei says I have great potential, and my teammates provide a nice challenge for me." I smiled proudly. "I think under them I will become much better."

It was such a vast change that Father stared at me for a moment. Then his gaze became surprisingly warm. "Very good," he said neutrally, and went back to his food.

I positively glowed with pride. It wasn't much… but it was a start.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

"Hey, look, it's Forehead Girl!" I turned around on my walk home just in time for Ami's fist to come rearing up and punch me to the ground. "Forehead Girl! Never showed your face at the Academy, huh? Too scared?"

She began kicking me as all her friends watched and laughed.

I curled up into a little ball, tears stinging my eyes, falling back into old habits… And then I paused as Inner Sakura spoke.

What was I doing?

Punch. Kick.

Why was I letting her do this to me?

Another kick.

What if I just… fought back?

And all of a sudden, my hand lashed out and grabbed her leg. She shrieked as I pulled her down to the ground - she skidded - I got on top of her - and I let Anko-sensei _out_. I screamed, "YOU RAGING BITCH! YOU HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE GIRL!" over and over again as I punched and punched her blindly, blood going everywhere.

The other girls had shrieked and run away.

At last, I stood, Ami shaking and crying below me, covered in blood. "I wasn't kidding," I said in a deadly voice, glaring. "I really _am_ being trained by a Jounin. See what happens to you if you come around here again."

And I walked away.

When I reentered the house, oddly calm, I was of course covered in blood. My parents gasped and ran over to me. "Honey! What happened?!"

"I got into a fight with a girl," I said casually. "She was picking on me."

My parents stared at each other… and then they did the most surprising thing. My father and mother looked forward, and my mother smiled with fierce pride. "Good job," she whispered.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"You want to quit clan training with us?" said my mother, aghast, that night in the living room.

"For now." I was firm, my arms crossed; I brooked no argument. "I just think it's time I focus on training with Anko-sensei until she allows other things. I want to get really good under her. I think it's time I start focusing on the important things."

I was just too exhausted after coming back from Anko-sensei to do four hours of training every day. I _could_ do it - but it tired me out and it made no sense. It meant I couldn't put my full energies into either training, I had realized.

"And we're not important?" my father boomed, rising from his armchair, intimidating.

I glared back. After Anko-sensei, not much fazed me. "Not right now," I answered back calmly. "If I'm going to be a good ninja, I have to start from the ground up."

"That's what we were doing!"

"Can you not handle this?"

I swallowed. "I can," I said. "But I'd rather spend my time doing the same training with other people, rather than doing it alone."

Training with Sakura and Hinata had put things into perspective for me - I had realized there were things besides being cool and strong. Things like comradery, as cheesy as it sounded.

My parents looked at each other for a moment.

"I don't agree with this," my mother said.

"You're not even a ninja!" I protested.

"But I was once!" said my mother fiercely. "Fine." She sniffed and looked away. "Have your freedom."

I turned in desperation to my Dad. His eyes were gentler. "Have your Sensei let us know when she wants you to start Yamanaka training," he said. "She can take over from here."

I beamed and jumped in the air. "Thanks, Dad!" I ran to give him a hug. After a moment, he smiled and put his arms around me.

* * *

 _All POV_

When they went to the training field the next morning, Ino and Sakura brightened. "Hinata! You're still here!" It was early spring by now.

Hinata smiled, looking more confident. "Yes," she said proudly. "I am. I've had a… change of heart."

Something fundamental about her had changed. But then, something fundamental about all three of them had changed.

"Come on," said Anko, jumping down from a tree before them. "Let's go back to the explosive tag field again."

And so they did, and this time they all competed madly and excitedly with each other - crawling and crawling faster and faster across the muddy field.

"I bet I can get there before you!" Ino called.

"Bet you can't!" Hinata called back, grinning.

"HA! AND YAMANAKA INO TAKES -!"

"Aaand I'm ahead of you." Sakura smirked.

"Hey!" Ino protested.

Anko resisted a smile. "LESS TALKING, MORE CRAWLING, BRATS!"

"MA'AM YES MA'AM!"

Their voices echoed out across the field - they were getting stronger.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

 _All POV_

"We will still exercise every morning, as you should do even when you are full fledged ninja, but now in the afternoons we begin your official training," said Anko out in the training field one spring day. "I will be teaching you the physical arts, the seductive arts, and the academic arts side by side with one another, just as if you were at the Konoha Ninja Academy. The physical arts and exercising will be out here in the field, the academic and seductive arts back at my apartment.

"We start with the physical. There are a few exercises you have to master before we allow you to start taijutsu, or official Konoha sanctioned hand to hand. In fact, you have to learn these before you can even do roof and tree jumping, or weapons training. You will master these exercises first and foremost.

"First comes balance and agility exercises."

The three girls stood determinedly, each before a bush. Then, "... GO!" Anko shouted. They paused. "Oh, for fuck's sake, don't hesitate, just go!" Anko barked in exasperation.

"Damnit… FINE!" Sakura went to leap over the bush, and landed on her ass right in the middle. "OW! Fuck!"

Ino laughed.

"I don't see _you_ trying it," Sakura sniped. "Think you'll do even worse than me?"

"Oh, it is _on_!" said Ino, determined not to be left behind. She went to jump - and landed on her back in the middle of the thorny bush. She groaned as Sakura snickered.

"Hinata. What about you? Can't handle it?" said Sakura, grinning and friendly.

"I am channeling my energies," said Hinata determinedly, standing still, calm and serene. Then she made a running jump and went to leap - she did make it over the bush, but she skidded several feet on the ground and got her legs all bloodied up. She hissed, sitting upright, hair a mess.

"You have to land on your feet," said Anko flatly. "So it doesn't count. Again!"

"But Anko-sensei, we're in pain -!" Sakura protested.

"Do I _look_ like I care? You're going to be in pain a lot when you're training! When I feel you've done as much as you can for today, you can all clean up your cuts and bruises. That's why I told you to start carrying first aid kits around with you. Got it?"

There was grumbling and sighing as the girls got to their feet.

"I said GOT IT?!" Anko growled. "If you can't even jump over a bush, how do you expect to jump between roofs and trees?!"

"Yes, Anko-sensei!"

And so they jumped. And they jumped. Landing painfully countless times, and then cleaning themselves up afterward.

Next, the girls looked skeptically at the narrow horizontal pole placed across the brook like a bridge. "It's a good thing I know how to swim," said Ino skeptically.

"No kidding," said Hinata, her eyebrows lifted.

"Here, you will practice balance," said Anko matter of factly. "Place one foot directly in front of the other, and walk across the pole to get to the other side. You should get to the point where you can do this without falling into the brook."

And so they began.

"Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall," Ino chanted as Sakura walked across the pole.

"Screw you, Ino!" Sakura called, right before she wobbled and fell into the brook with a splash. Ino laughed and Sakura gave her the middle finger. (Anko had greatly improved Sakura's vocabulary of swear words and rude hand gestures.)

Hinata, determined to be the mature one, said bravely, "I'll go next." She began walking across the pole - and vengefully, Sakura pulled at her feet and she fell with an undignified yelp into the brook beside Sakura in a gush of water. Hinata glared over at her, eye veins bulging and pupils appearing with the Byakugan - and then she leaped on Sakura and began wrestling her, the two of them shrieking and splashing in the water.

"Ino. Go fetch," said Anko.

"Why do I have to go get them?!" Ino protested.

"Because you started it," said Anko. "And then you're next and they have to chant for _you_ to fall the entire time _you're_ going across the pole."

They fell, and fell. "Again!" Anko kept calling ruthlessly. "Again!"

They also went to the gym and got on treadmills. "We used to use incline planks for this exercise. But now we can just use the gym." Anko smirked, and set the treadmills to the highest incline setting they would go. The girls swallowed, staring. They would almost be running vertically. "Start running," said Anko smoothly, walking away.

"Next comes muscle limberness and joint flexibility," said Anko later, as they all walked with yoga materials into a gym yoga class. "You have to be limber, flexible, and able to stretch long distances. Yoga is perfect for this - you stretch and then hold it there."

A few minutes later, they were all puffing, red-faced, trying to hold themselves in some bizarre position. "So - much - pain," Ino whispered in the seemingly peaceful silence. Anko didn't even look fazed.

"And finally, we come to strength in punches and kicks," said Anko, standing them in front of the three wooden posts out in the training field. There were bundles of straw tied to each side of all three posts. "You will kick and punch these bundles of straw for long periods of time until I am satisfied."

The girls stood there determinedly. And when Anko shouted, "GO!" they began striking and kicking, coming out from the sides. They punched and kicked until there was blood on the straw.

Slowly, they began improving. The runs came easier and they became less out of breath during them. The calisthenics, pushups, situps, and pullups became easier. They began running up and down stairs faster and in shorter periods of time. Their swimming became excellent, their rock climbing became expert, and they started lifting the heavier weights. The crawl across the mud under the ninja wire now took them mere minutes.

They could jump over the bushes and brush, landing cleanly on their feet on the other side. They could balance and walk across the pole over the water, placing one foot in front of the other, effortlessly. They could run fast at an incline for long periods of time. They moved into the more advanced yoga classes, and their punches and kicks were strong, fast, and expert.

They'd also become experts at cooking big, healthy meals for themselves, which helped their strength significantly as well. Their first aid had by force become good and calm. And they were tougher, more comrade-like, and more aggressive. They'd gone under fire together. Yes, with their ponytails and their workout clothes - they now looked like training ninja.

* * *

"The first kunoichi art I'm going to teach you is the art of flower arrangement," said Anko, as they were sitting at the kitchen table in her apartment with her one day. "I will teach you two different types of flower arrangement: ikebana and chabana."

The first thing they did was go out to a flower field.

"Chabana is taking seasonal flowers and arranging them in a fancy vase the way they would be found in nature!" Anko called, standing near the flower field. "Your job is to not choose any strong-smelling flowers, and to arrange the flowers as artfully as possible."

Sakura went over to the smaller, more humble flowers while Hinata went for the ones with more muted colors. "No, not like that," said Ino, who was picking largely shaped bright flowers like her mother the florist. "You have to pick -"

"There is no wrong way to make a beautiful flower arrangement," said Anko neutrally. "Ino, what have I said about correcting people? That's my job."

The old Ino would have protested. The new Ino said, "Sorry, Sensei."

"Now," said Anko, going over to Sakura and Hinata. "Sakura, arrange the smaller flowers and think, 'Okay. Now what sorts of large humble flowers would look good with these smaller ones?' Wisteria would go good with the dandelion you've picked, for example. Hinata, make sure your color assortment is balanced. Muted colors are good, but little pops of color here and there can really make an arrangement splash.

"And Ino," said Anko, going over to kneel beside Ino, "try not to make your arrangement look so inauthentic and man-made. That's good for a florist, bad for a chabana practitioner. Try to make your arrangement look a little wilder and freer, more natural, by going outside your comfort zone when it comes to flowers."

Once they had all practiced chabana arrangement, they moved on to ikebana arrangement.

"Ikebana is a bit different," said Anko, as they were sitting at the table again. "Chabana is used mostly in tea ceremony, as a decoration, but ikebana is what you use when you send someone an arrangement of flowers in isolation. And ikebana is much more man made - a bit more like a sculpture. You can use any kind of plants you want, flower or not flower, in or out of season, and the vase isn't nearly as important.

"Think this means ikebana is easy? It's not. You have to make the sculpture or installation art made of plants say something, bring some sort of feeling or make some sort of statement. To that end, you can bend branches, pull off and reattach leaves, shape petals with copper wire - all things you cannot do with chabana.

"There are also special techniques you must learn to make the ikebana arrangement last as long as possible, because unlike with chabana, you're not just using the arrangement for a day-long tea ceremony.

"And ikebana also includes mathematics and geometry. Depending on which style you use, the arrangement must assume a certain skeletal structure, and the stems, which are stuck to a mechanism that holds them straight and in place, must be a certain distance apart from each other. Those distances must also create little triangles, which represent Heaven, Earth, and Man.

"So as you can see, ikebana is quite complex and there is much to learn. Let's get started."

They got diagrams representing several different styles of ikebana, and in the process learned about each style. They used materials bought by themselves or Anko, and spent hours concentrating in Anko's apartment, trying to learn the correct techniques and mathematical calculations required to make each flower arrangement.

And it _did_ require a lot of concentration. They broke a lot of stems, branches, flowers, and leaves trying to get the shaping techniques right, and Anko would inspect and tell them every time their skeletal structure was out of whack, or every time they had made an incorrect geometric calculation in their stem placement. In this way, they learned a lot about geometry.

They also learned how to spray arrangements with sake wine, for example, and let it crystallize to preserve life inside the plants for longer.

But then once you had mastered all the technicalities, there was the creativity itself. Out of all the plants in the world, they had to order and pick the exact right ones and put them in the exact right shape to make the arrangement beautiful and say what they wanted to say. It was fun, but it was hard and it took them a lot of practice.

Slowly, over time, their arrangements improved. Each said something different. Ino often chose brightly colored, windy feeling plant materials and teasing overtly sexual shapes. (She'd done her online research after learning about sex from Anko, and so, though they wouldn't admit it, had Hinata and Sakura.) Sakura chose humbler, slimmer, more graceful flowers and plants, like a few dandelions, a bit of lavender, and a yellow rose, for example. Hinata chose muted colored plants - she loved black and white, tree branches and vines, and then she would take Anko's advice and add a little pop of red or purple here and there to make the arrangement stand out.

And in this way they each learned their own style of both ikebana and chabana.

* * *

"Our first academic topic is ciphers and codes," said Anko, as they sat around her in her apartment one day.

Anko plunked textbooks down in front of them.

"First, let's talk about the difference between a cipher and a code. A code is when you use one word to say other words. Konoha ninja have a specific book of code, and that is what you see before you now. You will read and have tests on this entire book. You will also have exercises where you create your own code on the fly, such as how you would in the field, with specific memorization techniques to help you remember your code."

Anko plunked a second set of textbooks down in front of them.

"These are ciphers. Ciphers are actually nothing like codes. There are charts full of various Konoha ciphers in these books. You will use mathematical algorithms to find out which symbols on the cipher mean which other symbols. A could equal F, C could equal N, and D could equal K, for example. So FNK could mean 'and.' But you won't know that until you find the correct key using an algorithm. This is where math comes in.

"You will then move on to making algorithmic charts of your own with their very own special number keys."

The girls stared down at the intimidating books before them.

"So." Anko gave a positively wicked smile. "Let's begin."

They started with memorization techniques. They spent long hours at night reading through textbooks, memorizing different sections of code using different techniques Anko taught them. For example, make the code into a kind of rhyme, or a shortening of the code like LOL.

They moved on to making codes of their own on the fly. Anko would literally time them. "You have thirty seconds," she said, staring down at her stopwatch. And then they would have to make up increasingly complex codes, and memorize them just as quickly as they made them. They did something else for five minutes, then came back and had to recite the code perfectly. This took some practice.

Ciphers were also difficult. It took lots of practice doing various algorithmic calculations before they started to figure out what keys were and how to apply them to a various cipher to do different things.

Making their own ciphers was even harder. "This shows absolute mastery of ciphers," Anko said. "Try starting out with a key and algorithm, then making the cipher based on that."

And so they bent over countless pieces of paper, scribbling out algorithms and mathematical formulas and drawing out ciphers. It was Anko's job to look it over, figure it out, and decide whether the cipher was mathematically coherent and made sense.

If it _didn't_ make sense, she would sit down with them and tell them where they'd gone wrong. "Try it like this," she would say.

Anko also encouraged the three of them working together. Separately, they were all intelligent; together, they were a force to be reckoned with. So they made a study group and helped each other study each new thing that came their way.

* * *

"I am also going to teach you about spirituality, more specifically Zen Buddhism," said Anko, "and let me tell you why." They were sitting in her dim, dark, cool apartment again. "For a ninja out in the field, death constantly dogs you. You could die at any time, and it's important you know that before going in. The most you can ask for is to make your death meaningful."

The girls sobered.

"So we need to get you squared away on at least one possibility for what you believe happens after we die. Zen Buddhism is my choice, because it ties into a lot of other kunoichi arts you will learn.

"In Buddhism," said Anko, "it is taught that we are blocked from achieving happiness by cravings. We cling to these cravings, thinking they will make us happy, and they block us from achieving true happiness. These cravings include cravings for sensory pleasures, cravings to continually cling to life, and cravings to not experience painful feelings.

"In other words, once we let go of these cravings, and realize that eternal life will not make us happy, that sensory pleasures will not make us happy, and that experiencing pain is necessary to experience joy - once we realize these things, we can become truly happy. Pain and joy are both impermanent, as are life and pleasure. Do not cling to impermanent things.

"Take a relationship, for example. No relationship lasts forever, even if it ends in death, so we should just enjoy it while we can. The relationship is impermanent. Don't cling to it. Never feel the need to 'possess' anything. Simply enjoy it. But the memory and feeling of the relationship - that is permanent. That will last us forever.

"Or take an assumption of what our future will be like. Do not cling to that set image of your future. You do not know what your future will be like. When you are uncertain of your future, that's good. A set future is always impermanent. That doesn't mean you can't plan, but don't cling emotionally to those plans.

"Cling to permanent things, not to impermanent things.

"Also, do not cling to thoughts of 'I' and arrogant feelings of accomplishment. Always have the beginner's mind. It is open and free of assumptions, judgments, jealousy, pettiness, and arrogance. The open beginner's mind looks at others with compassion, and is not caught up in the accomplishments of the self. When we get caught up in the accomplishments, experiences, and perfectionism of the 'I' is where we run into trouble. Perfection is never possible. Remember that. The 'I' can change with the times; it is impermanent. Do not cling to the 'I' and the need for its permanent existence. Be compassionate, and nonjudgmental. Give to others without thought of the 'I.' That is the only way to truly give.

"Konoha tries to follow this. We value teamwork and comradery, and we teach only to kill another person when you have to, or when the other person is trying to kill you. This is not to make the 'I' feel better, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Compassion is permanent, though life is impermanent.

"Zen Buddhism in particular teaches that we are caught in an endless cycle of life, death, and reincarnation anyway. Even the enlightened people always reincarnate - so that they can then teach other people to experience enlightenment, do you see?

"There is also the idea of karma. Karma means that every time you do a good deed or have a good thought, you plant a good seed in your soul. Every time you do a bad deed or have a bad thought, you plant a bad seed in your soul. That bad seed of bad luck will grow until at some point in one of your lives your badness will come back to get you. The same thing goes for good seeds - if you do good things and have good thoughts, good things will happen to you in future times. That's the theory.

"Nirvana is the ultimate state of peace and enlightenment that should be achieved in Buddhism. We achieve Nirvana by following the Eightfold Path:

"Right View, which means to believe in Buddhist teachings. Right Resolve, which means to resolve yourself to follow Buddhist teachings.

"Right Speech, which means never to lie, never to do abusive or divisive speech, and never to chatter on and on about unimportant things. Right Action, which means never to kill, steal, or do sexual misconduct such as rape. Right Livelihood, which means not to cheat or harm other living beings, including animals.

"Right Effort, which means to try to eliminate all bad things from your soul - once you try, you have succeeded, Zen teaches. And Right Mindfulness, which means to meditate regularly and to live in the present moment - we can't focus on yesterday, and we don't know whether or not we'll have tomorrow, but we know we have today. Connected to this is Right Concentration - to only concentrate on whatever is before you at the time, and do as much as you can for each thing you concentrate on.

"Now I will teach you meditation."

* * *

The girls were all sitting cross-legged, backs straight, eyes closed - and they were having trouble. They kept twitching, shifting, their eyes squeezed shut -

"You're trying too hard," said Anko.

All three girls' eyes popped open in surprise to find Anko, sitting cross legged in front of them, also had her eyes open.

"In meditation, you don't block out all thoughts - you just let them come and go, and then in between thoughts you return to your body and your breathing. If you're struggling, you're trying too hard. Meditation is supposed to be peaceful, centering, relaxing."

The girls' eyes closed again. After that, it came a little easier.

"People who meditate for hours every day are also not doing it right," said Anko later. Hinata in particular was surprised, thinking of Neji. "Those people are excited for a fad, but they don't practice the Zen mindset in their daily lives. When the excitement wears off, they will go right back to being the way they were before. Meditating about once a week, or whenever you feel you need to relax and refocus, is usually enough. Make it a small, regular part of your life.

"Now. I will give you each some scriptures to read and some sutras to chant. They will be difficult to understand at first, but remember to just keep an open mind and try - once you do that, you have succeeded.

"In the meantime, we will visit a Buddhist temple."

* * *

The Zen Buddhist temple in Konoha was in the forestry around the village, by the tall wooden wall that surrounded it circularly on all sides. It had ancient arching roofs, beautiful gardens, and a quiet, tranquil, rippling pond nearby. The inside was made of ancient wood with sliding shoji screens, and it contained a beautiful gold statue of the Buddha with a shrine.

One always had to ritually purify and cleanse themselves with water, and remove shoes, before entering the temple.

They visited temple twice - once for making offerings of flowers and food to the Buddha statue (these would later be donated to the homeless), burning incense, bowing and prostrating themselves before the Buddha, and offering prayers. Then they meditated. This was a private way of attending temple.

Then the next time they did a public way of attending temple, and went to a formal teaching with a Buddhist master. Everyone stood as the teacher entered the room, sat down after he had seated himself. They started out by going through a few short prayers together. Then the teacher did a peaceful discussion on non-existence, which tied back into what Anko-sensei had told them about the importance of uncertainty. Then they all recited a few short prayers together again. At the end of the teaching, everyone stood as the teacher left.

It was a very quiet, highly respectful and peaceful place full of calm, deliberate movements. And it made them feel better - the idea that there was a compassionate spiritual and moral map for them to follow, and a continued cycle of rebirth after death. In other words, once one existed, that was it - there was no true death. There was only freedom.

This was especially important for oncoming ninja.

To go alongside their written scriptures and sutras, each girl made a small Buddhist shrine to put in their bedrooms. In this, they found a kind of spiritual peace. They started going to temple once a week alongside Anko, and through temple they made many friends.

Anko had always been scary and knowledgeable, but this was when she became an approachable teacher figure for them in the truest sense.

* * *

The last thing they did was visit graves.

"It's important to respect the dead," said Anko, "to connect with death. That is the purpose of this exercise."

And so they went to the local graveyard and walked around, cleaning and offering incense before the graves of people they had never even met, reading the names on the pillars and paying especial respect if there was a symbol above their name that said they were ninja KIA.

"There are a lot of KIA ninja," said Hinata worriedly at the end.

"Exactly," said Anko reservedly, "and someday, you also want training Konoha ninja to respect the graves of yourself and your family and friends, and to understand through _you_ what true bravery and sacrifice and death is.

"No matter how tricky ninja are, we don't always win."


	4. Chapter 4

4.

 _Anko POV_

"You will continue afternoons with me on weekdays," I said, standing before my three students one day. "But on weekends, after our morning exercise, I want you to go back to your clans and start clan training."

The girls straightened, their eyes widening.

"Not general training. I'll still be covering that. But specified Hyuuga, Yamanaka, and Haruno abilities you can only get from your family. I want you to start those, and continue on to an advanced level. Do we understand each other?

"I know it might be intimidating to go ask your family," I said, seeing their expressions. "But try anyway. They placed you with me for a reason, remember?" I arched an eyebrow.

Then they became determined. "Yes, Sensei!"

* * *

 _Hinata POV_

I bowed before my father in his office. I swallowed; I'd planned this speech carefully. "Father," I said, "I would like to become a true clan heiress, and be trained privately in the Hyuuga clan arts." There was a pause as he stared at me, expressionless. "I have begun consistently defeating Hanabi and have become a contender for Neji." And didn't that seem to annoy my cousin? "I believe I am able to learn all that you have to teach me. Anko-sensei has made sure I am available two afternoons per week for private training."

"... You have never taken to the Hyuuga arts quickly, Hinata," said my father. "You make mistakes. Why do you think this will be any different?"

"Because, Father, I have been taught to learn from my mistakes," I said quickly, still staring at the floor. "I may not take to the arts quickly, but I have been taught to aspire to and compete against all who are my betters. I promise to work hard and be calm and aggressive. The person who never makes mistakes never learns anything," I added quietly. This was a Buddhist tenet I have learned from going to temple.

"Anko has taught you about Zen, I see. Surprising in one so… lively," said my father flatly.

I resisted the urge to laugh. "Anko-sensei is capable of many surprises. I think you would like her, Father, if you got to know her better." I dared to look up into his eyes and smile slightly. "She is a person I have come to respect."

My father looked surprised… and then thoughtful. "Very well," he said. "We will try training privately, and see how far you make it."

And so we met in a private Hyuuga clan sparring room, lined with mats and hemmed in by sliding screen doors, two times a week.

"We will first improve on your basics," said my father, standing stoically and with dignity before me. I felt a strange mixture of proud and intimidated. "You know the basics already, but I will go into them in further detail. Everything I am about to tell you about and show you, even the most basic Hyuuga with talent can do, so I expect you to perform well." I swallowed.

"First, the Hyuuga have a powerful and unique kind of chakra. Second, we possess the Byakugan eyes. Show them to me."

I made a hand seal. The veins around my eyes bulged; the eyes gained intense-looking pupils. "Byakugan!"

"Good. Now. The Byakugan has a near 360 degree field of vision. I say 'near.' There is one blind spot with the Byakugan, and it is at the back of the neck above the third thoracic vertebra." My father walked around me and touched a spot on my neck. Sure enough, I could not see him. "Here. Never let your enemy discover this weakness, Hinata. It is critical that they believe you truly have a 360 degree field of vision."

My father walked back around me to the front. "The Byakugan's secondary ability is to see through solid objects." He put a box in his hand. "What is in this box?"

I peered through the materials. "A marble," I answered after a moment.

"Exactly. And we have some degree of telescopic vision. We can focus on things far away. What is your mother doing in the kitchen across the compound?"

I focused… focused…

"Talking with a servant," I said.

"Which servant?"

"Suika."

My father nodded. "There are certain barriers the Byakugan cannot see through, but not many. They would have to be special chakra-infused barriers. This brings us to the Byakugan's final ability. In most cases, at least, we can see chakra. We see chakra in the world around us, its flow, which makes it easy for us to detect illusions and discover the secret behind ninjutsu techniques. We can also see the chakra circulatory system flowing inside a person's body. This leads us into Jyuuken, or Gentle Fist, taijutsu style.

"But first, Byakugan. You will improve your Byakugan in several ways. You will be asked to see through increasingly complex objects, eventually through thick, reinforced steel. You will be asked to see increasingly far distances, eventually all the way across the village. You will be asked to detect increasingly complex genjutsu, and you will be asked to see a person's chakra flow or a person's face in greater and greater detail. This will help you read other people, important for a clan head involved in politics, as well as improve your fighting skills.

"Now we get to Gentle Fist. We use the Byakugan to view a person's chakra circulatory system, and deal blows to the system's tenketsu points to disable and impede the flow of chakra. When we deal a blow to the chakra circulatory system, we also deal a blow to all major organs near that particular tenketsu point. Thus, 'Gentle Fist.' A single touch can leave the opponent with severe internal bleeding and damage. This touching of tenketsu points with bursts of chakra will over time give you excellent chakra control.

"But Gentle Fist touching is not only effective against people. Any chakra based technique can be disrupted and destroyed with Hyuuga Gentle Fist taijutsu touches.

"Gentle Fist can also be used to realign broken parts in our comrades. Touch once to injure, touch once more to heal. Do you see?

"Jyuuken is based around circular movements, which allows us a wider range of motion and full use of our momentum, without giving our opponent much of a chance for a direct strike. We must be circular and graceful, good at weaving around our opponent's attacks and attacking ourselves with soft but strong touches.

"So we will start with the basics of Gentle Fist, the basic stances, forms, blows, and sparring, and from there proceed farther into Gentle Fist. I will also teach you Gentle Fist healing, and how to disrupt ninjutsu with Gentle Fist. And I will give you small, close-up burst chakra control exercises to practice in your own time."

And so from there our exercises varied. He started bringing in thick objects, genjutsu, and ninjutsu techniques, asking me to see through them. Sometimes he surprised me with genjutsu and made me figure out I was in one myself. He asked me to see increasingly far distances, and in greater and greater detail. One of his favorite exercises was one in which he would tell a story, and I would have to use my Byakugan to look into the details of his face and neck and see whether he was lying or not.

He also taught me Gentle Fist stances, forms, and blows, and he sparred with me personally. He held nothing back, and our spars were painful, but after Anko I accepted this. He threw water ninjutsu at me and had me keep trying to disrupt the technique until I stopped getting wet. He taught me healing by injuring me and having me try to heal the injury, as I would in a real combat situation. (If I could not, he healed me himself, but showed me the correct way to do it.) Meanwhile, I spent hours doing leaf bending and water droplet stopping exercises out in the main garden, so my Jyuuken strikes could become more precise.

I was not particularly talented, but I saw this as a challenge, becoming determined, dedicated, and hardworking. I remembered Anko-sensei's words: that I had potential, she believed in me, and this was just a challenge for me.

Slowly, I improved. And though my father never said much, in the process I think I came to understand him a little better, too.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

It wasn't hard to convince my father. "Hey, Dad," I said casually at home. "Anko-sensei says it's time for me to learn the Yamanaka clan techniques. I'm free two afternoons per week."

My mother sniffed. "So we're finally allowed to help you now?"

But my father was delighted. "Come into the back room with me," he said, standing immediately from his armchair. I followed him into the dark back room, in which he had placed two simple chairs, each across the room from the other. "I've prepared already. We don't need many materials," he said. "Sit down in a chair across the room from me."

We each sat down.

"The first Yamanaka clan technique I'm going to teach you is pretty basic," he said. "It's the Mind Body Switch. You need to be in a straight line across from the other person, able to lock your eyes directly onto their body, in order for this to work. You use your eyes as a jumping off point. Your mind leaves your own body and enters theirs. Meanwhile, your real body is slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"This means you can take control of their body, make it do whatever you want it to, and read their mind. But meanwhile your own body is vulnerable, and those two bodies are connected. What harms one, harms the other."

"So it's not very useful for combat," I pouted.

"Hey, don't knock this technique," he said. "It's excellent as a last resort for information gathering and hostage situations. You can also take over a person with another bloodline ability, and use that bloodline ability to attack an enemy. Or you could enter a bird, for example, for aerial reconnaissance. And once you learn control of others through this simple technique, _that_ is the jumping-off point for a whole host of other techniques, including techniques for body control, mind reading and telepathic communication, mind sensing, and psychic attacks."

So we began. It took me many different times going through the hand seals, channeling my chakra, and letting my gaze loosely focus on my father's body, before I felt a sudden blackening tunnel vision and a pushing sensation - and all of a sudden I was looking at my slumped over body in the chair across the room.

I floated there in my father's body, panicked for a moment. _Dad?!_

 _Honey, you did it!_ he thought back, delighted. _I'm so proud of you!_

I could feel his thoughts, skittering back and forth, mainly thoughts of mingled delight and worry. I moved my own hand - but I was really moving his. I stared down at the large, callused palm. "Wow," I whispered, and felt his mouth issue the words and his voice say them.

 _Now, to get back to your own body, just look back at it and do the same thing you did before._

 _But Dad, what if I can't?!_ I thought, panicked.

A soft laugh. _You can_ , he assured me. _Just make the final hand seal, look at your body loosely, picture moving back…_

And then there was the blackening tunnel vision and the pushing sensation, and I was sitting upright back in my own body again.

"Good," said my father, straightening. "Now we move on to the Mind Clone Switch, or multiple person control."

"Multiple person control?" I said, surprised.

"Yes. You don't have to be in a straight line for this one. You can be surrounded by opponents all in curved lines. All other limitations are still present, however. Basically, you 'clone' your mind to put yourself in more than one body at once.

"So your mother and I will stand at opposite sides of the room. You will clone your mind and enter more than one body at once."

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

"... Mom?" I said uncertainly. She turned to me in surprise in the kitchen. I looked down. "I know you've never thought I was good enough to teach illusions to," I muttered. "But I was wondering if you could teach me… now?"

My parents exchanged a look; my Dad was sitting at the table.

"It's not that I didn't think you were good enough," said my Mom, kneeling down to my level. "I was just… worried you didn't have the right mindset for it, that was all. But of course, I'd be glad to teach you."

We did our training on a flat expanse of green grass behind the house, near the orchard.

"This is good because you can change the landscape easily into whatever you want it to be," explained my mother. "Now, let me briefly introduce genjutsu, or illusions, to you.

"Illusions happen when we control the chakra flow of the target's cerebral nervous system, thereby affecting the five senses. We can then control those five senses and make things appear to be what they are not for the target. Precise chakra control is required, as is enough intelligence to make the illusion convincing.

"I will first teach you how to do two things. Primarily, I will teach you how to sense genjutsu in the world around you, disrupt your chakra flow, and thereby break out of the genjutsu. This requires close observation of the world and a fine attention to detail.

"But second, I will start out by having you use disguising genjutsu. This means you make the world appear to be one thing to the target. You then sneak around the target, invisible thanks to the illusion they are paying attention to, and attack them in ways that can't be seen. Therefore, we will also focus on quick, vicious knife and taijutsu attacks to the vital areas, attacks that can kill somebody in one hit.

"Later, much later, I will teach you layered genjutsu so you can keep attacking someone even as they release, as they fall into layer after layer of illusion. But for now we're just going to focus on 'quick kill' disguising genjutsu. Give you a strong grounding.

"I will warn you, this requires much imagination on the fly." My mother smirked. "Be prepared." Her voice began to echo, her face blurred, and I realized I was already in a genjutsu. And so it began.

I kept trying and trying, breaking through illusion after illusion of my mother's, learning from her through each mistake, through each illusion she easily broke past - on this illusion I forgot to muffle sound, on that one I forgot to add in the flattening of the grass under the illusion's feet - until finally getting to the point where one day my mother threw a kunai at what she thought was me trying to sneak out around her - and then, in a completely different area, I put a kunai to her neck. She paused.

The illusive me she'd been aiming at phased out, revealing the real me behind her.

She smirked. "Very good," she said. "Perhaps you will be like your grandmother, after all." I smiled.

* * *

 _Anko POV_

"You're not just going to learn about yourselves as ninja throughout this training," I said one day in my apartment to the three girls. "You're going to learn about yourselves as people. There is an idea in this world that ninja are just emotionless weapons, tools to be used and then discarded. I don't see it that way at all. I think that way of believing keeps ninja from realizing their true potential. Ninja have to be human sometimes too.

"Therefore, I'm going to give you each sleep therapy techniques, and I want you each to devote some time in your days to discovering your hobbies, your interests, your favorite things - that kind of thing. Activities you can do in your off time, for at least an hour or two a day, that distract you from your troubles and from being a ninja and help you keep your sanity.

"This may sound a little weird, coming from me, but off the field, in private, you're always allowed to be human. You're allowed to grieve, let out emotions, reach out to your temple, meditate and read Buddhist scripture, have relaxing hobbies that have nothing to do with being a ninja, do whatever it takes in order to heal, alright?"

I was thinking of Orochimaru-sensei as I said this. The girls looked thoughtful and nodded.

"Let's start with an easy one. Take these gift cards and buy yourself a subscription to a legal movie and TV streaming site, buy some new music, buy some new books. Find your favorite books, movies, music, and TV, alright? Then branch out into discovering other hobbies.

"I expect to hear regular reports back on how you are doing. Think of it as homework."

* * *

 _All POV_

The girls shared their growing abilities with each other, they went to temple with each other, but they also shared their new likes and interests with each other. They tried out music, books and film, and they found (sometimes to their surprise) that they enjoyed it - that it wasn't lame, or stupid, or boring, and it didn't weaken them as ninja. They even moved on to reading articles online and having an online presence.

Sakura's favorite fiction was social and historical drama. Her favorite music genres were pop and country.

Ino's favorite fiction was horror and monsters of all kinds. Her favorite music genres were punk, EDM, and electro-punk.

Hinata's favorite fiction was mysteries. Her favorite music genres were soft alt and classic rock, and jazz.

The "sleep therapy" Anko-sensei showed them involved things like guided meditation, self hypnosis, and ASMR videos, sound makers to play soothing sounds to help them sleep at night, a warm bath each night, curling up in bed with a cup of soothing herbal tea or warm milk and a good book, listening to audiobooks, and outright meditation to relax in the evenings.

The girls began compiling a list of birthday gift ideas for each other, they cooked big healthy meals with each other, and they sparred in order to discover each other's abilities. This was important, so that they could work together better in tandem.

It was also fun.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

 _All POV_

One day in the training field, Anko said, "We begin with unarmed combat, or taijutsu. I am advanced in Konoha standard taijutsu, and I am going to train you until you are advanced in hand to hand fighting as well. Hinata already has Gentle Fist. She will now learn Ninja Fist, and be advanced in two different styles of martial arts.

"First, demonstrate a standard taijutsu punch for me."

All three girls smashed their fists out straight from the right side of their bodies, drawing their other fists in tight towards their bodies.

Anko actually laughed. "That's a punching technique for a farmer," she said. "In ancient times, farmers would direct heavy smashed fists toward samurai in armor, trying to be quick and hit hard in a vital area before the samurai in armor - which slows one down - could kill them. It's old fashioned."

"So how do ninja punch?" Sakura asked curiously.

"There is no one technique," said Anko. "I will show you several, and you use them depending on the situation. One rule is that you follow each punch all the way through - don't just jab and retreat. Okay, now, I'll show you slow. Do these with me.

"First, there is the Extended Knuckle Fist. It is used against hard, broad surfaces of bone structure. The fist is formed with the fingers half-folded, leaving the middle knuckles protruding. The knuckles strike against various areas, including facial bones, breast bone, and the sides of the middle ribs. The punch goes straight in, bullet-like, with all of the force behind the striking points. The elbow should not rise along the outside of the fist's path, or the punch will bend and hook. The elbow is kept close to the ribs, forcing the punch straight into the target.

"Then comes the conventional clenched fist. You don't need to do any of that fancy shit around it, though. Just clench your fist, keep your thumb where it won't get hurt, and hit. Especially useful against nose, jaw, lower edges of the ribs, arms, and legs - any area where the edges of bone structure are accessible.

"The Thumb Drive Fist is used against semisoft targets, generally muscles covering bone structure. It's especially good for attacking nerve centers - here, here, here, here, and here on the body. The fist is formed with the thumb protruding, and the hand in a golf club grip position. The thumb jabs, reinforced by the curled index finger. This fist is good for the sides of the neck, the sides of the upper ribs, the solar plexus, and the lower abdomen to the insides of the hip bones.

"Next is the Sword Hand. The lower outside edge of the palm is used against the structures of the limbs and neck, as well as for striking into the joints. The planes of the palm and fingers form an angle of 45 degrees, the thumb clamped along the base of the index finger. Always start by maintaining your hand into a conventional fist to disguise your intention. At the last second before the attack hits, open your hand. This strike is intended to open or break the bone structure.

"Now, show me how to stand as if waiting for an attack."

They did a stance as if riding a horse, their fists at their sides. Anko nodded calmly.

"Okay. Now watch this." She kicked the side of Ino's knee and Ino fell to the ground. "There are rules in karate. There are rules in kendo. There are no rules for the ninja. We attack your legs, leaving you unable to stand and move about. We sweep your feet. We jab our fingers in your eye sockets. All perfectly acceptable methods of attack. You have to be ready for each one. You follow your punch all the way through, right? Well, then you're in the enemy's territory. What then?"

There was a silence.

"You have to know how to stand, dodge, and block," said Anko. "It's essential. Now, unlike some martial arts, taijutsu does not use rigid, fixed stances and foot positions. Fighters move in and out of various postures according to the ebb and flow of the fight. So you've got this going for you, and it's going to take some practice sparring to get it down: anything goes. Only Hinata, with her family's specialized Jyuuken, probably already understands this.

"So, fighting stances. First is like this."

They waited. Anko just stood there. Feet about hip-width apart. Each foot carrying an equal weight. Arms loose at her sides.

"... That's it?"

"Yup. That's it. If a man plans on killing you, he is not going to inform you first. So you learn how to fight starting from this position."

Next they were taught how to knock away erratic punches - like those thrown by friends in a spar. Then they were taught not to use looping, erratic punches in spars themselves. Only Hinata needed no such instruction. She surprised Anko with a hard punch on her very first try.

"We have to fight as hard as we can against our friends so they can improve, right Sensei?" she said, looking up determinedly.

Anko smiled. "That is correct," she said. Hinata took these lessons just as seriously as her Jyuuken lessons, and in this Anko was pleased.

And from there, they learned how versatile the standing position was. You could do _anything_ with it, it seemed - dodge quickly around a half-formed attack and angle your body so you punched a person caught in half-punch in the face, for example. And magically, if you did the position correctly, it was damn near impossible to knock you over. Leg and feet attacks became easier to handle as they came - you could even jump over them, and do them yourself. Jumping and angling their body in weird ways became their byword, in fact, as did protecting and shielding themselves while being thrown away and throwing other people away

"Hey!" said Ino, as Sakura was grinning during a spar of theirs one day. "This is kind of fun!"

But they always came back to the standing position.

Another great thing Anko taught them using this posture was how to stop a wrestling throw. You used your immovable posture to stop the attack in its place, then used your shoulder to wrap around the person's shoulder, pinching their collar-bone and half-choking them, then slamming them to the ground when their hands fly to their throat.

She also taught them how to throw people themselves. "Keep yourself low to the ground," she said. "Always remember, when your attacks lack power, it means you're not close enough to the earth."

While the standing posture reflected earth, the defensive posture reflected water - fluidity, with the hips shifted down and away from the attacker so the defender could go anywhere. The legs were in different positions, one hand floating outstretched, the other next to the cheek with the elbow protecting the ribs. In this way, the defender could move and slide, forever out of reach.

The defender could do all sorts of things from this posture - move around a kicking leg and kick it in the inside calf, for example. Or get around a fist and hit the outstretched arm in two separate places at the same time: under the wrist and over the forearm. (They learned very quickly not to let their opponent get behind them - and to aim from behind themselves.) The rule was the defender always moved around and around the attacks, their rear foot dragging their leading foot around in a fast circle.

"Remember, a ninja's job is to minimize damage!" said Anko. "Avoid getting hit if you can!"

The offensive posture represented fire. The fists were positioned in front of the chin, but even then they were always crossed at the wrists and ready to block a possible incoming attack. The true ninja never dropped their guard, and was always ready to defend even when attacking. The elbows were held close to the ribs for protection, and the person lashed out in various punch and kick and leap attacks, their feet once more separated with the back one leading for movement.

The girls were hesitant at first to attack, until Anko said in casual annoyance, "If you're going to defend, use a defensive posture. Otherwise, what if someone goes to attack and you need to defend and you're in offensive? Offensive can't do all the blocking, you know."

Final posture was receiving posture, which reflected the lightness of air. With receiving, you were ready to receive anything. You were in a posture like you were spread-eagled about to hug somebody, and then you moved left and right according to the fight. With receiving, you were ready to block or attack. You shifted your feet in swirling patterns.

Once they had gotten down many of the basics of ninja taijutsu, Anko said, "When possible, avoid direct battle as a ninja. But taijutsu is there if you can't avoid that outcome. It is one of the things you can do, one of the tools you possess. And it aims to inflict as much damage as possible with the fewest and simplest moves as possible. Remember that."

A few other things they learned were distancing (deciding how close to the fighter to be based on how good the fighter was at either close or long distance fighting), angling (moving in unexpected directions, often in unconventional, spur-of-the-moment ways), and naturalness (doing whatever feels most natural in the fight at hand). They also learned to avoid direct, brute strength attacks and instead to include lots of soft attacks that required agility, surprising, and hurting nerves and joints. Hinata was already a master of this because of Jyuuken, while Sakura was already a master at quick, one-hit, heavy injury and kill attacks, but Ino slowly learned it too.

And they learned all this through a lot - of - sparring.

"There are certain rules Konoha ninja have for sparring," said Anko. "When we begin a spar with a friend, we always make the fight symbol, showing that we are facing each other in combat. Like this." She put her first two fingers up before herself. "At the end, we do the friendship symbol, to show we are still comrades." She wrapped her first two fingers around a student's.

"Is it like that in the battlefield?" Sakura asked curiously.

Anko laughed darkly. "Far from it. In the battlefield, unless you're careful, you'll probably be dead before you even understand what's happening."

Anko was a harsh taskmaster in this as in all other things. She would have them do spars with each other, correct them at the end, and then have them go through the right motions with her together. These were lessons done over a series of years. Anko, a taijutsu master herself, would not settle until they were all taijutsu masters.

* * *

"Your next lesson is in dance," said Anko at her apartment, in front of a tall, long mirror she had propped up against a wall. "At the end of the dance period, I'm going to have you do a recital for me. You will paint your neck, supposedly the most erotic part of a woman's body, the way a geisha does. You will also wear kimono, which is also supposed to be erotic because it leaves most of the body as a mystery. This is how you will always dress for dances and seduction infiltration missions.

"You learn dance as you learn the ninja arts - through transmission. Arts are passed down from generation to generation. The older generation taught mine, I will teach you, you will teach the future generation. You see? Art can only be taught through transmission.

"Age is very important in all arts, but especially in dance. While older dancers are no longer in their prime, their experience speaks for them. It is also like this with ninja. The Hokage and his advisors may look very old on the surface, but that means they've survived close to fifty years of wars and hard missions, doesn't it?"

The girls' eyes widened.

"Exactly. You also learn dance through _doing_. Like with taijutsu, you will do the forms with me, and then the whole dance with me. You don't learn the steps and then the dance. Instead, you learn the whole thing all at once.

"With that, let's get started. You will learn Nihon Buyo, the dance of the geisha."

They danced with sensu fans. "Always take care of your equipment well!" Anko called over her shoulder. "That goes for ninja materials, too!"

They twisted, low to the ground, their bodies always in angular bent postures - they rarely stood in one straight, uniform line. And with their bodies twisting, their fans waving, they did the dance. Each dance told a story, so each dance was also an act.

"Consider it like acting," advised Anko. "Put on a shy yet seductive act."

They were clumsy and tripped and fell a lot at first, and Anko was not afraid to laugh at them. But they just sniped in a sarcastic and irritated way back at her, and got back up to try again. Slowly, they improved.

At the end, they put their hair up in buns, dressed in kimono, painted their necks, and did a graceful, twisting, seductive dance, their fans waving. They had practiced this perfect synchronization for weeks until they got it right. They smiled slightly, shy, mischievous, enticing. They acted out a young girl pulling water from a well, surrounded by plum blossom trees.

At the end, they put their fans before them, knelt, and bowed to their instructor. The distance to the fan signifying the space between themselves and their Sensei, but the bow signifying respect for all parties.

Anko clapped slowly. They all looked up. She was smiling. "Good job," she said, one of the first times she had complimented them. They glowed with pride.

Next, they learned how to play the musical accompaniment for a dance, on a plucking shamisen string instrument. They spent hours, their hands cramping, practicing the right holding movements, their fingers callused and their finger muscles growing as they tried holding down and plucking at different strings.

They also had to learn how to read sheet music, so that they could learn different songs. Anko gave them tests at periodic intervals on reading music.

* * *

Textbooks were thudded down before them once again at the apartment's kitchen table.

"Your next academic lessons will be in history - all history of the Elemental Countries, but particularly ninja history. We will, of course, be going over individual battles and treaties, and you will write essays analyzing different battles and treaties as well as read the big history textbook you have before you, but before that let me give you a brief overview of the history of the Elemental Countries in general.

"We were originally a great continent full of hunters and gatherers, small tribes fighting one another, but when chakra sprang up a bloodbath began. Ninja clans fought each other in the Warring Clans era. Out of this chaos were carved elemental countries ruled by Daimyo. The Daimyo began inviting several ninja clans, grouped together under a treaty, to live on his land in a village and protect his land. In return, the leader of their village would be seen as equal to him, and the village itself would be an independent entity.

"This is how Hidden Villages began.

"There were still three Great Ninja Wars between Hidden Villages after this era, but for the most part relations improved. Hidden Villages even began setting up treaties with each other. Our Konoha's current closest ally is Suna, though we also have treaties with several other more minor villages, all of which you will learn about in this section. There are five great Hidden Villages: Suna, Kumo, Kiri, Iwa, and our Konoha. They are in the five great Elemental Countries: Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth, and our Fire. The Big Five are the only countries whose Hidden Villages are allowed to call their leader Kage, or Shadow - such as our Hokage. The Kage is elected by all ninja as the best the village has to offer. He has a council, which the Daimyo has a seat on, and he typically also has advisors. He is also usually a man.

"I would add that not all countries have Hidden Villages. Iron, for example, is usually where ninja treaties are signed and where the Five Kage meet - when they meet - because it is unusual for having samurai as its military instead of ninja. These samurai are quite adept at kenjutsu, and channel chakra into their swords for greater fighting power. Iron never participates in ninja wars, keeping itself closed off and aloof. Still other countries were never considered important or accessible enough to seriously attack.

"The three great wars were:

"The First Shinobi World War, or simply the Shinobi World War, was the first of the great wars that involved the majority of shinobi villages and countries. There are few reliable surviving records of this war, but the experiences of this war led to the birth of the tactics that still form the cornerstone of warfare. It ended with an armistice treaty, but only after all of the Five Great Nations had been seriously damaged. Even then, the peace only lasted another twenty years until the Second Shinobi World War erupted.

"The Second Shinobi World War was the second of three great wars involving the majority of the shinobi villages and countries. Konoha started this war over a land dispute - on the surface. In reality, it was the economic disparity between the countries that caused the dispute. Konoha has always been a wealthy country, with plentiful natural land and lots of tourist appeal. Take the viewing platform on top of our outdoor Hokage Monument with the Hokages' faces carved into it, for example. Such a thing would be sacrilege in some other countries. But tourists love it, and so we do it. Other countries and villages are quite jealous of Konoha, which is filled with trees and plentiful farmland, and are skeptical of our dedication to peace, compassion, and comradeship.

"There were conflicts between Konohagakure, led by the Third Hokage (our current Hokage), Sunagakure, led by the Third Kazekage, Amegakure, led by Hanzō of the Salamander, and Iwagakure, led by the Third Tsuchikage. The majority of the fighting took place in minor countries like Amegakure, leaving them devastated. The eventual outcome of the war was in favor of Konoha. Three great ninja, called the Great Sannin - Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya - arose during this time.

"The Third Shinobi World War is the third war that involved the majority of the shinobi villages. It took place several years ago, and as a young person I fought in it. Because of a decline in national power, the reign of the Five Great Countries was crumbling. Along their borders, skirmishes with smaller nations broke out all the time. The prolonged war gradually spread its fires far and wide, until at last it developed into the Third Shinobi World War. This war turned into an unprecedented war of attrition, tormenting all nations with a shortage of war potential. Not even excluding a great power like Konoha, very young children, some of whom were barely out of the Academy were thrown into the battlefield, eventually losing their short lives during the war. The future Fourth Hokage arose during this time as the Golden Flash. He was Hokage for a brief while before losing his life at the hands of a Tailed Beast attacking our village.

"That brings me to chakra-related history. Otsutsuki Hagoromo, also known as the Sage of Six Paths, was the one who first discovered chakra. Little is known about him.

"Tailed beasts are nine gigantic concentrations of chakra, also found by the Sage of Six Paths. We call them demons because they have incredibly strong chakra power and take animal forms. They go from One-Tail to Nine-Tails. Rumor has it they were all originally one Ten-Tail, but were separated into nine by the Sage. They come out of hiding periodically and attack villages.

"The Jinchuriki, or simply hosts, are humans who have had a Tailed Beast sealed into their bodies. When the ninja villages were established, seeing the potential of a Tailed Beast's power focused by a human element, Jinchuriki were utilized to have an advantage over their rivals. However, due to the destruction they can cause if the Tailed Beasts take control and destroy everything around them, those who become Jinchuriki are seen are tools rather than people with some becoming outcasts.

"So let's get to the history of Konoha village.

"During the Warring States Period, ninja were organised into small mercenary clans that knew nothing but battle. The two strongest of these clans were the Senju and the Uchiha, who had warred against each other for their entire histories. Eventually, intending to end the countless bloodshed, Senju Hashirama used his position as leader of his clan to create a truce with the Uchiha clan and its leader Uchiha Madara. The Senju, the Uchiha, and their affiliated clans formed the first shinobi village: Konohagakure — a name invented by Madara himself. Other villages would soon start being formed following Konoha's example, ending the Warring States Period.

"Hashirama used his Wood Release abilities to produce much of the village's infrastructure. This ability and his ideals were two of the reasons he was chosen to become the village's leader: the Hokage. Madara, however, feared that the Senju would oppress his clan and attempted to gather support to overthrow Hashirama. No Uchiha would help, forcing him to take on Hashirama by himself. Madara was ultimately defeated at what would be called the Valley of the End and he was killed. Hashirama died shortly after the village began to flourish, and the mantle of Hokage was passed onto his brother, Senju Tobirama, who became the Second Hokage.

"Tobirama died during the First Shinobi World War, killed by Kumogakure's ninja, but he appointed our Sarutobi Hiruzen as Third Hokage before his death. Years later, during the Second Shinobi World War, Hiruzen led Konoha's forces against Iwa and Suna, using Amegakure as their battleground. Ame's leader, Hanzō, also fought Konoha a number of times, and during one of these battles gave Hiruzen's students - Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru - the title of Sannin. During the Third Shinobi World War, Konoha fought the ninja of Iwagakure across Kusagakure. Konoha was almost defeated, but Namikaze Minato, a student of Jiraiya - the Golden Flash - and his team helped turn the war back in our favor.

"After the end of the Third Shinobi World War, Hiruzen chose Minato to replace him as Fourth Hokage. Soon after Minato took office, however, the Nine Tailed Fox Demon attacked the village. Left with few options, Minato gave his life to destroy the Nine Tails. He and his wife both died heroically, alongside countless other villagers, and Konoha was saved.

"The Hyuuga Affair happened a few years ago, while Kumogakure and Konohagakure were at war. In an attempt to put an end to the fighting, they agreed to a peace treaty to be signed on the date which coincided with Hyuuga Hinata's third birthday." Anko nodded to Hinata, whose eyes had widened. "The treaty was soon revealed to might be nothing more than a cover when the person who was the Head Ninja of Kumogakure at the time — who was in Konoha to sign the treaty — attempted to kidnap Hinata in order to obtain the Byakugan and its secrets. The shinobi was killed in his attempt by Hinata's father, Hiashi. Kumo demanded Hiashi's head, and what was given was the head of Hiashi's twin, Hyuuga Hizashi, a branch retainer member and young Neji's father." Hinata looked down, sorrowful. She knew. She'd known since before she could remember. "Hizashi, like all branch members, had a caged bird seal which destroyed the Byakugan upon his death. Left with no options, Kumo finally ended the war.

"An even shorter time ago, a young genius of the Uchiha clan went insane, killed his entire clan, and ran away to become missing nin - an exiled ninja on the run from his country's law. The only Uchiha who survived is a boy at the Academy right now who is your age named Sasuke. He watched his family die at the hand of his revered older brother.

"On an added side note, famous Konoha ninja have a habit of disappearing. Orochimaru secretly experimented on innocent civilians in the name of chakra based research and became missing nin, and Tsunade retired from becoming a ninja altogether after the brutal death of her ninja fiance. Only Jiraiya remains loyal to the village.

"And that's a wrap. From here, we will move on to individual battles and treaties, international relations, and the geography of the Hidden Villages using this map. You must memorize the entirety of this map and be able to label it from memory. I will also be asking you to write several essays on various historical events, and to read all the chapters in your textbook over time. There is a reading and essay schedule placed in each of your textbooks."


	6. Chapter 6

6.

 _All POV_

"Today we're going to focus on roof and tree jumping, which means we head on into this forest and then go out to the village at large," said Anko at the training ground. She dragged a mattress over to a space below and between two tree branches. "First, you use the mattress as a jumping-off point to leap up to the tree branch. Then you leap between the two branches. The mattress is there to catch you if you fall."

The girls paused, hesitant.

"Come on, girls." Anko clapped their backs on the way by. "Every ninja's gotta do it eventually. If you can make it clean over a bush and land on your feet, you can do this."

So they started jumping. Making it up to the branch was actually more difficult. Once they'd made it up there, the only part that was complicated was how to judge the distance between the two branches. How much strength to put into the jump? They put too little power in it a lot, wanting to fall onto the mattress instead of the ground, with the result that it took forever and lots of Anko yelling at them for them to make it from one tree branch to the other.

In the process, they also practiced leaping up to a branch countless times, because every time they fell they had to jump back up.

The next exercise was more harrowing. They went out into the village, and Anko put the dirty mattress in the alleyway below and in between two typical Konoha shop buildings: white walls with round and spiraling red roofs. "You jump up to one roof," she said, "and then in between the two roofs."

" _How_?"

"At first, leap off against one wall and land on the opposing roof. It's easier," Anko suggested. "If you realize halfway through the leap you can't make it, push against the opposing wall with your hands and land back on the mattress."

Their arms and legs hurt by the time they were finished. They fell back onto the mattress a _lot_ , and any fear of heights was quickly gotten over as they stood perched on the curving roof looking precariously down with Anko yelling at them to jump to the other roof - _or_ _else_.

But even when they'd mastered roof jumping, they still weren't finished. They had to learn how to jump upward without the use of the mattress as a springboard. Then Anko had them run from tree to tree, and from roof to roof, at high speeds. This was actually exhilarating, and the jump was easier when you were running. The only terrifying, heart-stopping part was when they accidentally misjudged the distance and fell - but even then, Anko was always there to catch them.

"That's what I'm here for," she said in annoyance, as they babbled their thanks.

Slowly, they accustomed themselves to roof and tree jumping.

* * *

"Your next kunoichi art is calligraphy, or shodo," said Anko at the table in her apartment. "You channel chakra, take up a brush and black sumi ink, and execute what is called an ideogram on a sheet of paper. This shodo is supposed to be an example of your truest self - it should all come out in a flow at once, and it is considered sacrilege to go back and touch up the work later. You only become better through experience - never through correction. The lesson is to let your better skill come with time, rather like it is in the ninja arts.

"So, to begin. Shodo employs three ways of writing characters: kanji, hiragana, and katakana. As shodo is an expression of individuality, all three different kinds of characters can be used in a single statement. However, within kanji there are several sub-styles, so let me remind you of them.

"I do not need to go over with you what kanji is, or what hiragana and katakana are. You know already. Just know that in modern day we use a simplified system of writing kanji. As you will see, in shodo, which uses more traditional styles of kanji, the characters will seem more complex and unfamiliar.

"Also keep in mind the five basic styles used today for writing kanji: tensho, reisho, kaisho, gyosho, and sosho. There is also the T Shirt and Blue Jeans Style, a more modern and simplified invention.

"You can use these varying character types and styles as you will in shodo. So you already have a lot of room to maneuver.

"Now, let me go over the 'four treasures' of shodo, prized from ancient times. The four treasures of shodo are brush, sumi ink, grinding stone, and paper. You need to know each tool intimately if you are to master shodo. The physical tools are just as important as the character-type tools, and may also be more unfamiliar to you.

"First, the brush. Tensho, reisho, and kaisho each require a specific type of brush. When writing in sosho style, a brush with long and soft bristles is used. In writing kaisho, one uses a brush with stiffer hair. In gyosho style, a slightly softer brush is recommended.

"Take a look at my collection of brushes, over here." They moved closer to the kitchen table. "The big brush with a short handle has soft hair composition, making it good for gyosho and sosho. This brush is good for kaisho and gyosho, with the center and outer hairs coarser. This ancient brush with a green stone handle is good for writing small ideograms such as in kaisho. This brush made with coarse hairs is good for writing large calligraphy in kaisho or reisho style. This is an ancient bamboo brush with coarse fibers as bristles, good for reisho or kaisho. Bird feathers are used as bristles in this one.

"In general, as a rule, look at coarseness, size, length of handle, and length of bristles. A typical shodo brush has bristles about three inches in length, but size can vary greatly.

"Next, we come to the ink, or sumi. Sumi is made from burning certain kinds of oils and minerals. The soot that comes from the burning is then mixed with an adhesive. There are four general kinds of colors - brown, black, red, and blue - depending on what you burn and what kind of adhesive you use. Sumi ink comes in sticks wrapped in packaging, some of them in circular or square shapes - they don't always just look like a plain stick.

"In general, use inexpensive inks for practice. They can cost about ten or twenty dollars. A similar-looking stick of ink that's much better quality can cost several hundreds of dollars. For fancier stuff, you'll want to use that. Otherwise the ink may bleed or run during the process of mounting the artwork. So be careful with your expensive ink. Use sparingly.

"Then comes the paper. For beginners, outdated newspapers are commonly used for practice. But once some of the subtler arts come to you, higher quality paper is recommended. Art supply stores usually carry paper especially made for practice in calligraphy. Common practice paper is called hanshi.

"Finally comes the seals and stamp pads. Paintings are commonly identified by artist's signature, right? Well, ink paintings and calligraphy pieces are identified with the artist's _inkan_ seal. Generally, the ideogram for the calligrapher's surname is done in white with a red background, while the given name is done in red with a white background. You use these 'stamps' to identify your artwork. There is a store here in Konoha that will make you a set of name stamps for yourself.

"With that said, let's get started with some actual techniques."

First Anko taught them how to hold the brush and move with it correctly. There were four different methods alone just for holding the brush, and they had to show her all of them without being helped before she was satisfied. They smeared ink a lot and got it all over their hands at first, so Anko would scold them, they would go wash off, and then they would try again with a new newspaper.

"That's why we use cheap materials for practice," Anko said.

Once they'd gotten down holding the brush, they learned different strokes. There was the wide to wide stroke, the wide to narrow stroke, the narrow to wide stroke, and countless others. They used these strokes to make different, often complex characters and put them together to form ideas. There were one-character ideograms, two-character ideograms, and multiple-character ideograms.

First, Anko taught them zengo. These were simple, one-statement reflections on different aspects of Zen philosophy. For example, there was "Nyoze," or "As It Is," which meant to accept life as it was, not as one wanted or didn't want it to be. There was "Wa Kei Sei Jaku" or "Harmony Respect Purity Tranquility" - these were the four central most important tenets of Buddhist philosophy. There was "Za Ichi So Shichi" or "Sit First Dash Seven" - in other words, if you sat and contemplated first, you could go in seven different directions at once.

Then Anko taught them haiku.

"There are three elements to haiku:

"The first is the most commonly known: seven, five, seven. This is the number of _on_ , or syllables, that you should have in each line. Seven syllables, five syllables, seven. That's it. That's all you get. Like with zengo, minimalism is key here. Say a lot with a little.

"Second, the middle line should be a sort of cutting point between the other two. Two images with a center which colors them.

"And finally, a reference to seasons and nature is usually used.

"I guess I should add that modern writers are increasingly unwilling to stick to seven-five-seven or nature themes. The juxtaposition rule is still always honored, though.

"You may have seen haiku put in three lines, to make things simpler to understand, but original, authentic haiku is all done in one line."

They practiced their creativity - and their technique - looking over scriptures and reflecting, writing their own zengo and haiku.

* * *

"Your next academic lesson is on the layout of a standard Hidden Village, as well as the differences between Hidden Villages," said Anko at the apartment. "Remember, each Hidden Village is in a different country, and each country has its own culture. Understanding others' cultures is essential to good kunoichi infiltrating, so you will be tested on various countries' cultures.

"For example, our biggest and closest ally, Suna. Suna is in a desert country. They are very strict and spiritual, their Kazekage being seen as minor gods, with a complex honor system and a strict code of hierarchy. Sometimes they wear traditional garb other than standard kunoichi or civilian wear. Sari, for example, are common at parties and festivals. They favor rich silks and long sashes. They have belly dancing. They have little natural resources and sometimes struggle because of this - water and rain are considered sacred to them, because they are often in drought - but they are a tough village surrounded on all sides by great mountains of rock making them very difficult to penetrate. They have a very large, cheerful Daimyo currently in Wind Country, unlike our own Fire Country Daimyo, who is tiny and thin and serious. Their food trademark is a special kind of dumpling that cannot be found in any other part of the world. Their architecture consists of round arches and tough, sand-colored adobe. They often have wind and sand storms, and the temperatures there are very hot.

"These are the sorts of things you need to know about any and every country before infiltrating, and I will teach them to you. But there are also some things standard to all Hidden Villages. Let me go over them in brief before we move forward in closer detail.

"Although there are variations from village to village, the general organisational structure and hierarchy of the ninja systems of each village is about the same. At the top of the organisation is the village head, or the Kage in the case of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. They rule the village and its shinobi together with a council, usually consisting of highly ranked shinobi and elders and the country's Daimyo.

"The actual shinobi forces are divided in three groups. The regular forces, the Anbu, and the medical teams.

"The regular forces form the foundation of the village and its shinobi system. The majority of shinobi are a part of these forces and together, either individually or in teams, they perform the majority of the missions the village receives. They are also tasked with the various duties within the organisation, such as training and administrative duties.

"When an Academy student like you graduates, they usually become a part of these forces, assuming the rank of genin. Via various exams and tests, they can be promoted to higher ranks, first to chūnin and jōnin after that. Sometimes, when a shinobi is specialised in a very specific skill, they can assume the rank of tokubetsu jōnin, which is a rank between chūnin and jōnin. I am a jonin.

"The Anbu, short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (Literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), are covert operatives dispatched by their Kage.

"There are various groups within the Anbu, aimed at various different functions and tasks. For instance, there is the hunter-nin — a group created solely for hunting down and disposing of missing-nin. There is the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, who interrogate prisoners and work to gather intelligence. Ino's father is one of these. And then there are just general Anbu. Anbu usually do the dirty work, hence they wear animal masks, a sign of their physical distance from ordinary, mortal humans. I was an Anbu at one point. It's a hard job. Basically, you're part of Black Ops.

"The medical teams, which Tsunade herself founded, is the supporting side of the shinobi forces. They consist of medical-nin, working behind the scenes to heal sick and injured shinobi and to make sure the organisation's resources are always in peak condition. They also do extensive research into new techniques, medicines, diseases and the human body. Although not seen very often, they are highly respected. Even to a jōnin, the advanced skills of these shinobi seem like magic. To be a medic nin requires great intelligence and extraordinary chakra control. Konoha, because of Tsunade, has the best medical teams in the world.

"Not all medical-nin are members of the medical teams, though. There are also medical-nin within the regular forces, who go along on standard missions to increase the success-rate referred to as field medical-nin. Though medical-nin from the hospital are sent out into the fields from time to time. However, back in the village, it is the medical teams who run the hospital and treat the wounded.

"Additionally, it is illegal for a foreign shinobi to enter another's Hidden Village without a special permit - treaty or no treaty. If you ever see a foreign shinobi in Konoha - you will know, because as registered ninja they will be wearing a hitai-ate, a band with their village's symbol on it - it is then your duty to ask them for their paperwork or else make defensive maneuvers against them. This is why it is common for foreign shinobi to pin their permits to the outside of their clothing, where the permits can be easily seen. Ambassadors for their home village in another's village have special badges that they wear.

"For Kage, this does not apply. But Kage always wear formal robes and traditional pointed straw hats, so they're easy to spot."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

 _Hinata POV_

Today was an important day, and I was nervous.

My father had so far sent a water ninjutsu at me and had me disrupt it, and attacked a point on my shoulder and had me heal myself. He had just finished telling me a story in our private Hyuuga clan sparring room. "... Lie," I decided, Byakugan eyes narrowing.

"Precisely," said my father crisply. "Now. I have placed a titanium steel box next to the Chuunin-guarded gates out of the village. What is inside that box?"

I concentrated - concentrated -

"A scroll," I said at last.

"And what is inside that scroll?" he said, revealing nothing.

I scanned the scroll for a moment. My eyes were straining, but not about to break, and around Anko I had become used to dull pain while training. "Directions to the next guard outpost on the west side of the gate, on the wall."

"Very good. Now. You will face me in a brief spar."

My father got into a Gentle Fist fighting stance. I got into a stance across from him, and lashed out first quickly. But to my surprise, he was much stronger and faster than usual when he responded. I realized he was being serious against me.

We dodged and hit, dodged and hit, neither of us putting chakra into our hits, as was usual during spars. At last, my father swept my feet and arched a knife hand down toward my heart - pausing in surprise when he felt something touch his stomach, above his hara and chakra center.

It was my hand. He had been unable to dodge, coming in so close to me to kill me, meaning we would have killed each other. I had used his closeness as a vulnerability to my advantage.

My father at last straightened. "Very good," he said once more. "Tonight on the sparring mats you will face Neji in standard sparring combat."

He walked away, leaving me sitting on the mat staring after him in amazement. He thought I was good enough… for Neji?

* * *

I faced Neji on the mat that night, and I will admit, I was nervous. But I had discovered that after my father, Anko, Sakura, and Ino, Neji was not as fearsome as he used to be.

"Hinata-sama," said Neji at last, "you cannot win this. You are too kind, gentle-hearted, and underconfident. You were fated to be weak -"

I lashed out and caught him off guard mid monologue, hitting a point in his side.

"You are only a year older than me, Neji," I said, a hardness entering my voice. "And I will win. How's that for confidence?" I raised an eyebrow.

He snarled and lashed out, I dodged, and we began. I was hard and fierce. I had always aspired toward Neji, and now it was exhilarating, fighting him on an even footing. Hit, dodge, block, hit, dodge, block, shift foot position -

Neji's hand was right at my heart line.

I dodged fluidly underneath the blow, _bending_ , and his eyes widened in surprise. I swept his feet, we were both on the ground, and I sat on top of him, touching a hand to his head. Killing stroke.

We paused, breathing hard.

"That was not an official Hyuuga clan move," said one clan elder, frowning.

"We are ninja, sir," I said contemptuously, standing coolly. "We have no code of honor. What matters is that I won."

The elder paused, and nodded in response to my point. My parents had little smiles on their faces, and Hanabi's eyes were wide with wonder.

"I don't understand." I turned to Neji. "Have I weakened? People cannot change! How did you -?" He looked angry, frustrated.

"Perhaps, Neji-nii-san," I said quietly, "it is easier to change than you think."

His face darkened. "Not for me." He was talking about being sealed as a member of the branch family.

"You must get creative, Neji-nii-san," I said lightly. "Did you never think to ask me, the clan heiress, for help with your change?"

He stared at me as I walked calmly off the mat.

It was the closest I could come among clan elders to a truth, to a promise. When I was clan head, I had decided, we would end branch family practices. I had an unexpected ally in my father. I knew that after seeing the rift being a member of the branch family put between him and his brother, he had refused to brand either of his daughters with a cursed seal.

I left the sparring room, my eyes hard. I had a long road ahead of me.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"You can now do both single and multiple mind entry and control," said my father in our dark back room. "Now you will learn one of the most important Yamanaka clan offensive techniques: body control.

"This is known as the Mind Body Disturbance Technique. We can do it to multiple people at once. No straight line required. We hijack the target's nervous system, gaining complete control over the target's body. Their body becomes disconnected from their will.

"The difference between this and Mind Body Switch is that it does not take out of commission your own body, and your own body is not connected to any target's. You can make them do anything from dance a silly dance to kill each other - all at no harm or cost of your own except minor chakra loss. Control can even be exerted from long distances."

I sat forward, excited, and my father smiled.

"I'm excited to have you learn this. Now, what you do is you focus your chakra on my body, rather like you focus your eyes on my body for mind techniques. You should feel a pushing and draining sensation on your chakra, and I should slump over, my body limp."

So we began. It took me a lot of tries, to get the technique just right. But when I did, I was thrilled, and I had my father squeal and dance and clap and jump up and down along with me.

He was laughing. "Hey! Hey, cut it out!"

Soon, I learned how to twitch my fingers, like a spider with several webs going in different directions, and make my targets do various things. My father made clones and had me practice with them, because it was complicated coordinating and keeping an eye on controlling the actions of an entire attack squad at once.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

"You have mastered disguising genjutsu of all kinds - all manner of sensory mirages - and quick kill attacks," said my mother out in the field by the orchard. "The killing an opponent for this next section will be significantly easier: you put them asleep, and kill them in their sleep."

I stood there in the field, tense, ready for anything. I checked my surroundings - I didn't appear to be in an illusion.

My mother suppressed a smile, as if sensing my thoughts. Sometimes she reminded me of a Yamanaka.

"You attack the cerebral nervous system, and slowly shut down the part of it that's awake. So first, you must sense out what that part is. This will take some practice."

And practice we did. I sensed out different areas of the nervous system, and began putting labels to what I had previously been manipulating mostly intuitively. Once I had mastered putting the brain to sleep, I then mastered attacking the cerebral nervous system directly, inflicting horrible physical and mental damage - not on my mother, of course, but on one of her clones. Still, watching her body and mind collapse before me was eerie, even for a genjutsu practitioner.

She shuddered as she got the memories back. "Vicious," she said. "... But good."

* * *

 _All POV_

"Before you start discovering other hobbies, I must warn you of the three ninja vices," said Anko. "These are problems and obsessions you must avoid at all cost. The traditional teaching is for men: it says to avoid trouble with alcohol, money, and women.

"For women, it has been modified: avoid obsessions with alcohol, money, and men. Try to find hobbies that stray far away from these three vices. They're all more trouble than they're worth. Got it?"

"Yes, Sensei."

Sakura's first discovered hobby was puzzles. She found she enjoyed putting things together and figuring things out in an intellectual way. It was relaxing for her. She not only did crossword and sudoku puzzles, but things like solitaire and physical puzzles.

Ino's first discovered hobby was art. She loved to get messy doing charcoal drawing and painting.

Hinata's first discovered hobby was flower pressing. She enjoyed picking beautiful flowers and pressing them into photo albums to keep them permanent. She would label different pages, based on the day and outing where she picked the flower.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

 _All POV_

"We are going to start covering weaponry today," said Anko one day in the training field. "The Academy is a proponent of teaching you only one kind of weapon besides kunai knives and shuriken. I think that's bullshit. A true ninja in the Warring Clans Era or directly afterward would be a master of several different kinds of weapons and would have them all with him at all times. How?" She held up a scroll with a symbol in the center. "Like this.

"This is a sealing scroll. You channel swirling chakra into the seal left-ways if you want to take something out, and right-ways if you want to put something in. You can put all the weapons you need into scrolls like these and take them out at will."

So Anko made them buy each kind of weapon themselves, and she showed them - not only how to take care of the weapons, but how to use them.

Ropes, chains, and cords could be used to snag an adversary from a distance, or knock him unconscious. For example, one swung a chain weapon outward (the weapon was used like a whip, with all the power in the tip), the person caught it in the air - and then you could _twist_ it and lasso them around the arm, dragging them across the floor. Sakura fell for this one, thinking she'd caught the cord and then being dragged. Stopping at Anko's feet. Looking up to find her Sensei smirking.

And so they learned - how to move around quickly, slashing a chain, rope, or cord weapon outward at unexpected angles, constantly adjusting grip. There had to be a precise target of impact, or the weapon wouldn't work.

Sticks and staffs were next, supposedly the favored weapon of choice of the Hokage himself and his monkey summons. The point or end of the tip was for striking, all the power of the blow funneling down into a single point. The hips had to be coordinated with the staff, which added power to the strike. Footwork was also important. Basic slashes and poking strikes from a stationary position were practiced first, then moving forward and backward during the strike were practiced. Then they learned how to block and counterattack, sparring each other using sticks and staffs.

The ninja cane was next. It had the appearance of an ordinary walking stick, but inside the cane was contained everything from hidden knives to full sword blades to spears to chains.

So after that came the sword. "Bladed weapons are the ninja's primary fighting tools!" said Anko. "Sword is used for close range fighting, and throwing blades and shuriken for long distance. I will be teaching you both."

The first goal of ninja swordsmanship was to develop the ability to draw the sword in defense with sufficient speed to cut the attacker without having to first block his initial slash. This acted as the first cut, as opposed to drawing and preparing to cut. If the opponent was too advanced, the blow turned into a block.

"Cuts usually only involve the last quarter of the blade," said Anko. "Movements should be light and fast, not powerful, a graceful extension of the arm."

They then sparred using kenjutsu skills against each other.

Throwing knives (kunai), senbon needles, and shuriken were last, but certainly not least. They practiced straight-wristed flings at anatomically labeled dummies and later moving Anko clones, particularly toward an assailant's arms and face. "They're usually not serious enough to kill," said Anko. "So go for vital areas to a fighter. Also, if the target's moving, always throw at the place where they're about to be."

They also learned how to use strong, hard ninja wire, smoke bombs, and explosive tags. With ninja wire, they had practice leaping around an opponent and stringing them up with graceful flings of the wire, then pulling the wire till it cut the skin. This took a lot of practice.

With explosive tags and smoke bombs, all they did was learn how to prep, throw, run, and duck, covering their ears. The great explosion went off in the training field behind them, shaking the ground, and left their ears ringing. The air floated with black dust motes.

No one came to check on them. Explosions of elements or gunpowder were quite normal in ninja training fields.

Lastly, Anko made them practice pulling these weapons out of sealing scrolls until they were experts at doing it at high speeds. The girls sparred with one another using weapons, touching points on the opponent's body instead of outright cutting or crushing them. They always did the combat symbol first, the friendship symbol afterward, as in tajutsu.

And soon they could add weapons mastery to their Ninja Fist mastery in their arsenal of attacks.

* * *

Anko showed them tea ceremony by having them be guests at one of her own, in the traditional set of rooms at the back of her apartment.

The three girls, the guests, arrived slightly early, put their shoes in a basket by the door, and entered a traditional looking interior waiting room, where they took off coats and put on fresh tabi single-toed socks. The girls were wearing formal modern-day attire, with skirts that covered their knees even when kneeling, and no jewelry or perfume. One could also wear formal kimono to a tea ceremony, and in fact the host or hostess of the tea ceremony had to.

The waiting room had tatami floors and an alcove in which a calligraphic scroll was hung. It alluded to the current season, and had been chosen by Anko herself. "Summer Ends, Autumn Begins" it said simply.

There was a kettle on a little stove nearby, and three cups of steaming hot roasted barley tea for the wait. The girls sipped at their tea. Usually at this point they would go to the beautiful garden beside the teahouse, but since they weren't in a teahouse, they went to sit down on a bench on Anko's apartment balcony. She had surrounded it with plants, to mimic a garden.

Anko arrived in a beautiful black silk kimono, her neck painted as she had taught them. She radiated smiling peace and serenity. There was a silent bow between host and guests. The guests then proceeded to a stone basin, where they ritually purified their hands and mouths with water, as they would before entering temple. The guests then entered the "teahouse", removing their footwear and entering the tearoom through a small "crawling-in door." The guests were seated seiza-style on the tatami, viewing the tearoom. It smelled strongly of freshly burned incense. When the last guest had been seated, the door was closed with a loud sound in the stark silence to alert the hostess.

Anko entered the "tearoom" and knelt before them. "Welcome," she said quietly, smiling, to each of her three guests.

Hinata, the first guest, who had done this before, asked in highly prescribed language, "What is the meaning behind the hanging scroll?"

"I chose that scroll because it alludes to autumn, and also a new season beginning and an old one ending. A new season is beginning for you, as you are learning the art of tea ceremony," said Anko.

Hinata nodded, satisfied. She said nothing further, and neither did the other guests.

A charcoal fire was laid on the firing pit in the center of the room. This fire was used to heat the water. A pre-prepared several course _kaiseki_ meal - made by Anko herself - was served to the guests at this part, accompanied by _sake_ wine. The courses used special autumn season delicacies and were small, served on small decorative plates which reflected the theme of autumn, with colored leaves on their edges. Then small sweets called _wagashi_ \- really, little cakes - were served to each guest. They ate the _wagashi_ in a small paper called _kaishi_ that each guest carried with them into the tea ceremony in a pocket. The wagashi were decorated with little piglets, pink cherry blossoms, and sunflowers.

The girls smiled. "Ino" meant pig or boar, "Sakura" meant cherry blossom, and "Hinata" meant sunflower.

After the meal, there was a break called _nakadachi._ The guests sat outside on the waiting bench while the hostess used the break to sweep the tea room, take down the scroll and replace it with an autumn-season _chabana_ flower arrangement, and make preparations for serving the green tea. This was the part that gave the ceremony its name.

A gong was rung by the host, and the guests purified themselves once more before re-entering the tea room. Once more, they examined the items placed in the tea room. The hostess was alerted once more, and came back into the tea room, where she ritually cleanse each tea making utensil - chiefly the tea bowl, tea whisk, and tea scoop - in a precise order and using prescribed motions, in the presence of the guests. This was where grace came in. The tea utensils were then placed in an exact arrangement according to the particular _temae_ \- or procedure - being performed.

The host then prepared the thick green tea, or _koicha_ , using the tea utensils inside a tea bowl. Bows were exchanged between the hostess and the first guest as the hostess handed the first guest the bowl of _koicha_. The first guest bowed to the second guest, and raises the bowl in a gesture of respect to the host. The guest rotated the bowl to avoid drinking from its 'face', or front. The guest took a sip and complimented the host on the tea. After taking a few sips, the guest wiped the rim of the bowl clean and passed it to the second guest. The process was repeated until all guests had taken tea from the same bowl. Each guest then had the opportunity to admire the bowl before it was returned to its host.

The host cleansed the equipment once more using prescribed, graceful motions, and left the tea room.

The host returned to the tea room with a smoking table (which could not actually be used for smoking), more confections ( _higashi,_ a specific type of _wagashi_ ), and cushions for the comfort of the kneeling guests. The host rekindled the fire and added more charcoal, and this signified the beginning of the informal portion of the gathering.

The hostess prepared the _usucha,_ or thin green tea, and prepared an individual bowl of _usucha_ to be served to each guest. There was a similar ritual exchange of bowl between host and guest, a similar turning, few sips, and compliment. But after that, the guests were allowed to finish their individual bowls of tea, and talking in a low voice was allowed. There was still supposed to be a peaceful hush about the room, even during the talking.

After all the guests had taken tea, the talking time ended, and the hostess cleansed the utensils in preparation for putting them away.

"May we examine the utensils?" Hinata, the first guest, asked.

With extreme care, and using special brocaded cloth, the guests handled the ancient, treasured tea items, examining them for their simplicity and traditional beauty.

The hostess collected the utensils. The guests left the "tea house." The hostess bowed from the door, and the ceremony is over.

"Now," said Anko, straightening briskly, returning to her usual self, "what did you notice?"

"It took four hours," said Ino in amazement, staring at Anko's kitchen clock. "I can't believe how much time has passed."

"For the hostess, as you will be during seduction missions, it takes an even longer time. You have to clean everything, prepare the meal and the cakes and the flower arrangement, choose what scroll and what utensils to use, make sure all the symbolic messages match up… it's an all-day project. It's important to let a hostess know at least a few days in advance that you would like a tea ceremony," said Anko, revealing nothing. "What else?"

"Much is expected of the hostess," said Hinata. "Such peace and serenity, such grace and silence."

"And everything has to be just right during a tea ceremony," said Sakura. "There should be an almost holy hush, and every move is deliberate. It's so _quiet_."

"Yes, tea ceremony has ties back to Zen," said Anko. "And as you will have noticed, almost every kunoichi lesson you've had is put into play. From kimono wearing and neck painting, to cooking and chabana, to a master's eye for calligraphic scrolls, to elements of Zen peace. Grace is also an additional necessity. You will practice until you have the necessary grace and memorization finished.

"So. Let's begin."

Slowly, they mastered the art of hosting a tea ceremony, and being properly alluring and catching while doing so. Their wagashi were their signature - Ino always had piglets on hers, Sakura cherry blossoms, Hinata sunflowers.

And they learned about the different types of tea ceremonies based on time and season.

During an Akatsuki Ceremony, a dawn ceremony, the moon was still in the sky. Candles were lit in the tea room of a traditional teahouse, so they could better view the lit stone lanterns out in the garden. Anko booked them a room at a tea house one night just so they could view this phenomena for themselves.

During a Yobanashi Ceremony, or evening ceremony, the room was lit only with stone and paper lanterns.

At the New Year, it was common to boil a pot of fresh water made from snow and use that for the tea.

During spring, tea ceremonies were sometimes held outside under cherry blossom trees for cherry blossom viewing. Summer also sometimes had outside ceremonies, near rivers for example to keep cool in the heat of the summer.

So many things about tea ceremony were completely beautiful.

* * *

"Your next academic lesson is in chakra theory," said Anko.

"Chakra is essential to even the most basic technique. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, chakra can be controlled and manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire, or creating illusions. Chakra is ordinarily not visible to the unaided eye unless it is highly concentrated or manifested in large amounts.

"Since being spread by Hagoromo, better known as the Sage of Six Paths, chakra has become a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree; those who run out of chakra will die. Those who use up too much chakra are impaired with chakra exhaustion.

"Produced within the "chakra coils" that mainly surround and connect to each chakra-producing organ, the energy circulates throughout the body in a network called the "Chakra Pathway System", which is similar to the cardiovascular system. Certain groups, such as shinobi, have learned to generate more chakra and release it outside their bodies through pressure points called tenketsu in order to perform jutsu. Chakra is not normally visible to the human eye, though it can be seen in situations where a person releases as much of their chakra as possible. This is rarely seen due to the restrictions of eight specific tenketsu known as the Eight Gates, which limit the amount of chakra an individual can release at a single given time.

"Chakra is created when two other forms of energy, known collectively as one's "stamina", are molded together. Physical energy is collected from each and every one of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Spiritual energy is derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience. These two energies becoming more powerful will in turn make the created chakra more powerful. Therefore, practising a technique repeatedly will build up experience, increasing one's spiritual energy, and thus allowing more chakra to be created. As a result, the ninja is able to do that same technique with more power. This same cycle applies for physical energy, except the ninja needs to increase their endurance instead.

"At any given time, a ninja will have a "maximum" amount of chakra that they can form and use before it runs out and they need to rest to replenish it. With practice this maximum can be increased, but to a certain extent they are limited to the quantity and strength of chakra that their genetics grants them.

"Each person's chakra is different and as such gives off a unique chakra signature, which sensor type ninja are able to detect. Chakra signatures are passed genetically, allowing a person's clan to be identified by their chakra; over time, entire populations can have different chakra. This can lead to bloodline limits, one clan's ability to do something no one else can do, such as the Hyuugas' Byakugan eyes and mastery over tenketsu points, or the Yamanakas' ability for mental and bodily control of others, or the Harunos' supernatural chakra control and intelligence which leads to their excellence in illusions.

"One's chakra signature can be altered by absorbing DNA from multiple people, mixing various chakra signatures together to become a whole new one. Chakra signatures that are similar to each other (such as that of a parent and child) are suggested to resonate when near each other. Each person's chakra also has a unique "colour" that can be seen by those with dōjutsu (all normal chakra is light blue). Even if they are separated, changes made in the chakra signature of the original will result in the separated chakra mimicking those changes.

"While practically all types of jutsu require chakra to be performed, taijutsu does not; stamina is all that is needed. While the ninja still needs a set amount of chakra to live, regular taijutsu doesn't require any active moulding or manipulation of chakra, with few exceptions. A standard attack like a punch or kick falls into this technique category.

"Because chakra takes time and a great deal of training to gradually build up, the key to its use is not actually having chakra but instead being able to sufficiently control and conserve it. This is called chakra control. In order to have good chakra control, a ninja should only mould as much chakra as they need to perform a given ability. If they mould more chakra than is needed, the excess chakra is wasted and they will tire out faster from its loss. If they don't mould enough chakra, a technique will not be performed effectively, if at all, likely creating problems in a combat situation.

"General training methods for improving one's moulding and manipulation of chakra are the Leaf Concentration, Tree Climbing, and Water Surface Walking exercises. I will teach those to you in future studies. You all can already sense your chakra and its center in your hara, which is a good start. A good way to build up chakra in the body is to spin it into a tight spiral; Whether to spin the chakra left or right is dependent on the way the user's hair grows. Hand seals are often used to manipulate chakra more easily, allowing shinobi to execute their techniques faster and more effectively. Shinobi who are extremely skilled at chakra control often specialise in genjutsu or become medical-nin.

"When creating a ninjutsu, the two methods of manipulating chakra are referred to as shape transformation and nature transformation:

"Shape transformation deals with controlling the form, movement, and potency of chakra.

"Nature transformation deals with changing the physical properties of chakra into an element. There is also the nature transformation of Yin and Yang, which deals with changing the ratio of spiritual and physical energies within chakra.

"These two methods can be implemented separately or together in order to create a technique, though ninja who can use both simultaneously are said to be rare.

"There are also additional, specialized chakras we won't get into, such as nature or sage chakra, six paths chakra, and tailed beast chakra.

"I have a series of brief chakra theory essays printed out here in this pile for you to read. We will have a test on this soon, so study hard!"


	9. Chapter 9

_Author's Notes:_ I started talking about sex ed and all of a sudden I had a lot of thoughts.

Also, sex is talked about pretty bluntly in this chapter. If this makes you uncomfortable, don't read, I guess.

* * *

9.

 _All POV_

In a series of lessons, Anko repeatedly took them out to the forest on the edge of Konoha. They would pick various herbs, and she would take them back to her apartment and show them how to mix the herbs together to make poisons, antidotes, and medicine.

"This is not a replacement for hospital visits with a medic nin," she said. "But if you're ever out in the field and in desperate need with an emergency, you have to know what plants you need to make an antidote or a kind of medicine to save your comrade's life. And poisons you _have_ to make yourself. No hospital is just going to hand those out."

They also studied a textbook full of plants in foreign countries, memorizing the information and taking tests on it so that they could recognize which plants to use to make which poisons, medicines, and antidotes in foreign territory.

They then learned how to lace their weapons with the poisons they had created, how to disguise poisons within food, and how to use chakra strengthening pills, which they were taught to carry with them on missions.

"These are a last ditch resort," said Anko, holding up a little round red pill. "During chakra exhaustion, they give you a brief high, enough to make a tactical retreat from a fight and find a safe place for shelter. Then you crash, and you crash _hard_. So don't just use them carelessly. If you take too many over a short period of time, you could suffer health complications, on top of everything else."

Anko's last gift to them was immunity to poisons. Here the word "gift" was used very loosely. She slowly administered increasing non-lethal doses of various poisons over a series of weeks, making them extremely sick, bedridden and vomiting. Eventually, slowly, they got better and better, until she could administer poison to any of them and none of them would get sick.

"Mythology says women who have become immune to poisons are fatal to have sex with," said Anko, grinning. "It's not true, but that's a fun little piece of folklore to learn, isn't it?"

"Anko-sensei," said Sakura, deadpan, as all three sweat-dropped. "You have an interesting definition of the word 'fun'."

* * *

"It is important to me, before we get to the sexual and seduction aspects of kunoichi training," said Anko, "that you go through sex ed. For example:

"First," said Anko, holding up a few bottles, "there are several different kinds of all-day medications created specifically for kunoichi that deal with period cramps. You take one, and in theory it should relieve pain for the rest of the day. Working out while you're on your period is hard at first, but I would like to add that most women actually report feeling _better_ during their period once they've started working out. You just have to get up and motivate yourself beforehand.

"I would recommend writing down and trying all these medications now while you're still in training, and seeing which one works best for you. Then cling to that med like it's gospel.

"I would also recommend tampons during your period, instead of pads. Even when you're not planning to go out swimming, or to go out on a mission, you never know when something might come up if you're a ninja. So just to be safe, I would use tampons. They get in the way less during running, swimming, etc.

"So here's my lesson about tampons. I'm gonna give you a visual. Sorry if that grosses you out."

They followed her into the bathroom, and she showed them.

"Open the wrapper and remove the tampon. Gently pull out the inner tube, toward the end of the removal string, until it comes to a stop. Either sit on the toilet with your knees wide apart, or stand with one leg on the toilet. Relax, take a few deep breaths - trust me, it'll make things easier if you're not all tense.

"Use one hand to hold the tampon at the bottom of the outer tube. Place the rounded tip of the tampon to your vaginal opening and point the tip toward your lower back. The removal string should be facing away from your body.

"Take a few breaths and gently twist the applicator back and forth into the vagina, directing it toward your lower back. As soon as your fingers touch your body, the applicator is in the right place.

"While holding the outer tube of the applicator, push the smaller tube with your pointer finger all the way into the bigger tube until it stops. As you're doing this, the tampon slides out of the applicator and into your vagina. If it's uncomfortable, the tampon is likely inserted incorrectly or not inserted all the way in—you should remove it and start over with a new one.

"With the tampon comfortably inside you (and the removal string hanging outside your body), carefully remove the applicator, place it in the tampon's wrapper, and throw it in the trash. Then wash your hands.

"Don't forget to remove the tampon before inserting a new one. When it is time to remove it, pull the string downwards at the same angle you used to insert the tampon. You can either flush the used tampon down the toilet or wrap it in tissue paper and put it in the trash."

The visuals helped their understanding, even if they were super gross. Once Anko had removed and washed her hands - she was still almost eerily calm and nonchalant - she told them a few other details they should know.

"Tampons should not hurt. You should not feel any discomfort at all. If you feel discomfort, it's not inserted properly. In fact, you should not even feel the tampon. Past a few inches inside the woman's vagina, the woman can't feel anything anyway - that's why it's pointless for guys to compare whose dick is bigger. Girls can't really tell the difference."

There was some giggling.

"I understand the immaturity, but you're going to have to get over it," Anko added bluntly. "We're going to be talking a _lot_ about sex over the next kunoichi arts sections, and that's something kunoichi just have to get used to.

"Now, a tampon should be changed every four to eight hours. Never wait longer than eight hours to change a tampon.

"There are different sizes of tampons. There are also different sizes of pads. Buy several different kinds and keep them stocked with you - then use the absorbency level you need for what kind of flow you have that month. That's what all the different sizes and colors in that long row at the grocery store are about.

"There are also different kinds of applicators - cardboard and plastic. I would experiment now and see which kind you like better. That's more of a personal preference sort of thing.

"Tampons can be worn overnight, but always change in the morning.

"There is a thing called vaginal discharge, and it happens when a woman is not on her period. You know that clear liquid you sometimes get on your underwear? That wet feeling you sometimes get when you're not on your period? Totally normal. Don't use pantiliners all the time; they can suffocate your vagina. You have to let it breathe. Just… know that it's normal and try to ignore it.

"Now, on this same note, they have these nifty little period kits for kunoichi at the grocery store." Anko picked one up and showed them hers. "See - here you have places for tampons and pads, and little slots where you can put different pain-suppressants. Buy one of these and put it in your equipment pouch alongside your weapons - healthy reproductive organs are just as important as knives, okay?

"What else do you need to know… oh yeah. Always wear deodorant. Every day. That's just a general adult thing. Oh, and wear deodorant. Not antiperspirant. If you can, find a deodorant without an antiperspirant component. Sweating is healthy - it helps us cool down while working out. Don't suppress the sweat. But it's okay to wear deodorant while on missions so you don't stink.

"Other things to wear while working out: sports bras and cotton underwear. Cotton underwear will keep you from getting a yeast infection, while sports bras will give you that nice support so your boobs aren't painful and all over the place. On the note of underwear, always wear loose, breathable attire with lots of extra fabric - don't chafe your vagina while working out. No thongs or lacy little things. Sorry. And wear seamless styles - they won't show under your clothes, but more importantly, they're less irritating on your skin while you're running around.

"Now let's talk about shaving. It's important for a kunoichi to keep the legs and underarms shaved, just because part of being a female ninja is being seductive and that is seen as an attractive feature. I would not, however, recommend shaving your pubic hair. Not only because that would mean putting a razor near your genitals, but because pubic hair is there for a reason - it helps keep the genital area from getting bacterial infections, acting as a kind of protective coat.

"But for legs and underarms, I would recommend disposable and safety razors. They cut closer to your skin and contour better. Always use shaving cream with disposable and safety razors, to avoid nicks and cuts and keep your skin from being irritated. I would also recommend only shaving while taking a shower or bath. Water hydrates and softens the skin, making it easier to shave. So wet your legs (or armpits), then moisturize them with the shaving cream, then shave. I'll give you a demonstration."

And she put up her leg, turned on the water in the bathtub, and got out a razor and shaving cream, demonstrating for them.

"See what I'm doing? I'm shaving in the direction of hair growth. Don't rush, and be careful around the knee and ankle areas - they're most prone to cuts. After shaving, use a lotion or moisturizer - this will help keep your skin from drying out.

"Some things to know about shaving," Anko continued once she'd wiped her legs off. "Despite common myth, shaving does not make your hair grow back thicker. Also, it is normal to feel a bit of 'stubble' after you've shaved - that doesn't mean you shaved wrong or incompletely. (On an added side note, you can also have blemishes on the skin that are not unhealthy. Just because you have blemishes on your skin, that doesn't mean there's something wrong.) Anyway, there's no need to worry, because no one can see the stubble until your hair starts to grow out longer again. In general, it is normal to shave every few days or once a week. Obviously, out on survival missions shaving is not the most important thing.

"Now. I'm going to take you out shopping and we're going to buy all these things for you for the first time together."

And so they went out shopping. The girls bought tampons and pain suppressants, one period kit each, shaving materials, loose cotton underwear, and they tried on different sports bras and found their correct fit and size. (They were older by now, and just beginning to grow, so the lesson was timely.) Anko emphasized that comfort was most important in bras, and so they bought based on that.

* * *

"Now we get to the sex ed section of our learning. Here are some things I think you need to know about sex and how to have safe, healthy sex:

"During puberty, your body is getting ready to become a parent. So all the things you're going through right now - acne, growth spurts, body hair, wet dreams, menstruating, breasts budding - they're actually perfectly normal. Wet dreams indicate growing sex drive, while breast budding indicates that the breasts are becoming ready to nurse a potential child.

"Don't freak out. None of you are having children yet," said Anko, amused, as their eyes widened. "But there are still some things you need to know.

"First - a lot of girls figure it out intuitively for themselves, but you masturbate by rubbing the area directly above the vagina in circular movements. I'm not telling you to masturbate. I'm not telling you not to masturbate. I'm bein' all fucking Zen and giving you information and letting you do what you will with it.

"Here's a chart of female anatomy, and a picture of male anatomy. I know, it's gross. Look at it anyway.

"Without even spreading your legs, you'll see your pubic mound and two folds of skin called the labia majora (the outer lips). Both contain layers of fatty tissue that protect your clitoris and vagina. While pleasure reception is typically weak in this area, manual play can help increase the signal. Rubbing the pubic mound and outer lips readies the clitoris for stimulation.

"Now, if you gently push apart the outer lips, you'll reveal a thinner set of lips called the labia minora. They are loaded with blood vessels, nerve endings, and secreting glands. To the naked eye, the glands may look like tiny bumps. They release secretions that actually help to separate your lips for easier penetration by a penis.

"When you spread the labia minora apart, you'll encounter Bartholin's glands (which are microscopic, so you can't actually see them with the naked eye) on each side of your vaginal opening. As you become aroused, these glands lubricate the outer portion of the vaginal canal. They typically release only a small amount of moisture, which is why so many women need plenty of foreplay to stay wet.

"Here's where the clitoris comes in. She's that pink nub, roughly the size of a pencil eraser, and she's there only for sexual pleasure. She has roughly 8,000 nerve endings, the largest number found in the entire body and double the amount found in the glans of a man's penis. That makes her very sensitive to stimulation from the man's penis. What you probably didn't know is that she's got legs. Literally. We see only the head of the clitoris, but it has a body that's shaped like a wishbone, with two legs (called crura) that reach three inches into the vagina, just under the pubic mound and straight into G-spot territory (but more on that later). This gives the clitoris incredible sexual reach and depth.

"The best way to make the clitoris happy is through direct, consistent, yet gentle oral or manual stimulation. The traditional method, called missionary, is for the man to be above the woman like this - oh look another chart! But it's also quite responsive to woman-on-top and during a twist on missionary called the coital alignment technique. In this position, your guy enters you as he normally would during missionary, with two simple tweaks: He inches his body up until his shoulders rest above yours and the base of his penis directly hits your clitoris. Then he grinds in a circular motion instead of the typical thrusting in and out which the penis usually does, which creates more friction against the clitoris.

"Friction can feel amazing, but sometimes it does become too much. As you head toward climax, the clitoris swells in size, which can make friction painful. Some women report that clitoral stimulation at this point can feel like an irritating tickle, and in some cases, like a really sharp shock. To protect itself, the clitoris retreats back under the protective awning of the clitoral hood. Often, simply lightening up the stimulation a bit will make it feel good again.

"An overly sensitive clitoris is your body's way of saying it's the vagina's turn to work. The four- to seven-inch canal (it varies depending on the woman) can't compare to the clitoris in the nerve-ending department. But it does have a lot of nerve endings. The first two to three inches of the vagina have hundreds of nerve endings and are majorly sensitive. That's why when a woman is giving birth and the baby is crowning, coming out of the canal head-first, they call it the 'ring of fire.' To stimulate these first few inches of your vaginal canal, try shorter, shallower thrusting during sex.

"Additionally, contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a 'tight' or 'loose' vagina based on whether or not you've had a lot of sex. The vagina is a muscle. It contracts and loosens. To have one constantly tight or constantly loose makes absolutely zero sense.

"Deeper into the vaginal walls, you'll find the G-spot. If the clitoris is famous, the G-spot is infamous. Not every woman can tap into its potential, but if you do, the rewards are phenomenal.

"The G-spot is a spongy area about the size of a nickel, and it's located an inch or two into the anterior wall of the vagina, just under the pubic mound. It has bumpy, knotty striations similar to a walnut, and it demands a hands-on, tough-love approach. The G-spot's nerves are contained in fattier tissue, so you have to provide deeper, firmer pressure to stimulate it. For starters, you should already be really turned on before it's accessed. That's because the tissue doesn't swell and make itself known until you've enjoyed proper foreplay.

"G-spot stimulation also calls for a tag-team approach. You can hit it by having your guy enter you from behind, but the best bet is to have him go down on you with his tongue and fingers. With his mouth on your clitoris, have him use his fingers in a come-hither motion to apply firm, rhythmic pressure to the G-spot.

"If you haven't had what you think is a G-spot orgasm, don't stress over it. (For the record, orgasms that originate in this zone generally feel expansive and deep, while orgasms that start in the clitoris often feel more acute and intense.) Many women say the G-spot enhances their orgasm. They wouldn't isolate it and say, 'Wow, I just had a G-spot orgasm.' It's more like, 'I just had an orgasm, and what he was doing felt really good.' That's why most vibrators come with a clitoral stimulator and a G-spot stimulator. They work in tandem to create what's commonly referred to as a blended orgasm. While you can have a clitoral orgasm without G-spot stimulation, it's a little trickier to achieve the reverse.

"Now let's take a look inside. These are where your eggs are. These are the fallopian tubes, which the egg travels down to get to the uterus, which is where babies and also menstruation first come to life. The baby grows in the uterus and travels out the uterus through the vaginal canal.

"Menstruation happens because an egg heads down your fallopian tubes once every month, and your uterus creates a bloody cushion for the egg to latch onto. Most times, the egg doesn't fertilize, so the uterus sheds its unneeded bloody coating.

"But pregnancy happens when an egg _is_ fertilized. Here's how that works: To get really technical with ya, during sexual intercourse, the man's penis is inserted into the woman's vagina. After a while, the man ejaculates (during orgasm). At this time, the fluid (called semen) containing millions of sperm is released from the opening at the tip of the penis. Some of the sperm 'swim' through the vagina into the uterus and then into the fallopian tubes. A sperm connects with an egg and that's fertilization. During sexual intercourse, the woman may also experience the feeling of orgasm, but it's not necessary for fertilization to take place. The fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterus wall, where it grows, hence why women get bigger when they get pregnant.

"Fertilization can also happen through 'artificial insemination.' With artificial insemination, the man has already released the sperm. The sperm is injected into the vagina—usually by a doctor or nurse. The other type of fertilization is called 'in vitro.' This is actually a medical procedure. Eggs are taken from a woman's body first. In the lab, sperm are added to the eggs. Some fertilized eggs begin to develop into an embryo. One or more embryos are then injected into the woman's uterus. Women who have difficulty getting pregnant may use in vitro fertilization because it increases the chances for pregnancy.

"When an egg is fertilized and latches onto the uterus lining, the uterus doesn't shed. Instead, the baby grows inside the uterus and then is pushed out the bottom end, so to speak. By the way, giving birth hurts a lot. So if you've had sex recently and then afterward missed your period… Oops, right? Especially when sexually active, but always in general, keep a calendar reminding you about your period every thirty days. There are pregnancy tests you can take to determine whether or not you are pregnant."

"Anko-sensei." Sakura frowned and raised her hand. "What about sex without getting pregnant?"

"The most common types of ways to keep from getting pregnant are birth control pills or condoms. If you're sexually active, take birth control pills regularly, and always insist that the man wear a condom unless you want to get pregnant. There are also female condoms you can wear, and when you insert them right side down the ring can push against the clitoris and give greater pleasure. Pro tip. Condoms can help prevent the spread of STDs, sexually transmitted diseases, so they're important to use anyway unless you really trust your partner and know him well. I would add that neither option is completely fail safe - there's still a small chance you might get pregnant. You take that risk when you have sex."

"So what happens to women who get pregnant after an infiltration mission?" said Ino, frowning.

"That's up to them. They go off missions for a while. Some keep the baby, some give it up for adoption, and some abort it." Anko shrugged. "All options are available.

"Some other things you should know about sex:

"We do not pee out of our vagina. We have sex and give birth through the vagina, and poop out the anus. But though it looks like you're peeing out of your vagina, you're not. You're peeing out of your urethra. It's a tiny hole above the vagina and below the clitoris that leads to the bladder, where pee forms. Right here, in this part of the diagram. Kind of like how your anus leads to your rectum. Get it?

"'No penetration' does not mean that you are safe from pregnancy. Pregnancy can occur even when a partner ejaculates or pre-ejaculates near or on your vulva. Irrespective of the fact that you engage in vaginal sex or not, naked body contact around this region could lead to pregnancy. The pull-out method also still has a one in five chance of leading to pregnancy.

"You can still get pregnant if you have sex during your menstrual cycle. If you have vaginal sex during your periods, you can get pregnant. Sperms have a life ranging from one day to one week, thus meaning that a sperm could fertilize an egg when you ovulate. Even when you are menstruating when you decide to have sex, it is a must to use a condom, as it is the proven way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.

"You can still have sex while menstruating. It doesn't hurt anything, and in some cases it actually feels great.

"Clean your genitals. You want me to say that again? _Clean your genitals_. They're like any other part of your body. They need cleaning!

"Women feel just as much pleasure during sex as men, if not more, and are also capable of masturbating, having wet dreams, achieving orgasm, and getting aroused. Girls' genitalia is made from the exact same tissue as boys' genitalia. So the whole 'guys are incapable of controlling their sex drives and all girls are looking for is love' thing doesn't really fly. The most one could say is that a man's brain is more connected neurologically to his genitalia than a woman's is.

"Condoms have expiry dates. Always check one before use.

"Masturbating does not lead to health problems like impotence or blindness. Fun fact.

"No rough sex during pregnancy. It can harm the fetus. Gentle sex is fine, though. Just be careful of the amniotic sac inside the woman holding the baby in place.

"Sex, like physical exercise, can help with pain by releasing endorphins. Sex also is shown to have positive psychological effects. It also eases stress, lowers blood pressure, and studies have shown it appears to lower your risk of contracting certain kinds of diseases. Sex is good, is what I'm saying.

"A few other things you should know: Women are allowed to have however little or however much sex they want. It's your choice. Not having sex doesn't make you a prude. Having lots of sex doesn't make you a whore. Remember that.

"Shaving is optional - even for a kunoichi, if you really want to go there. Caring for menstruation is not. Not caring for your menstruation can land you in the hospital and even kill you.

"On the note of periods, there is a thing called period shaming. This involves making women feel like their periods, a natural biological function, are something they need to hide, and it is _wrong_. Period shaming can take several forms. People can attribute all your mood swings and teary emotions to your period, or make you feel like your periods are disgusting and horrifying. They can freak out over accidental leaks of blood onto clothes or bedsheets - also completely normal, by the way - or refuse period sex, or tell you not to talk about your periods to anyone, or to keep your voice down when discussing them.

"The problem with this is the way it makes the woman feel. Women go through this once every month for a good forty years, and it is painful, then they go through menopause, which also brings its own health complications, and then - finally - they're done. And feeling like it's a part of their life that they need to be ashamed of does them no good.

"There is also one more thing I need to teach you about, and it is rape, and it can happen to female ninja out in the field.

"Rape is when sex is forced on you, even though you don't want it. In order for sex to be consensual, you have to say you want the sex, and at no point say you _don't_ want the sex. So if you say halfway through the sex that you can't do this anymore and you need to stop, and he keeps going, that's still rape. If you say you don't want it, and he does it anyway, that's rape. If you struggle, and he does it anyway, that's rape. If you're unconscious or incapacitated and he has sex with you, that is definitely rape. If you at no point say you want the sex, and the sex makes you uncomfortable and feels forced, and you're all stiff and awkward the entire time, that is rape. If you say the sex is painful and he keeps going or refuses to change position, that is rape. If he forces you to do a kind of sex you are uncomfortable with, that is rape. If he tries to talk you into the sex when you don't really want it, that is rape. Rape is also known as sexual assault. Women do sometimes orgasm during rape - that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you, and it doesn't mean you enjoyed the experience.

"Rape is a crime, and it is _wrong_. It is one of the most horrific things one person can do to another person. Additionally, there is no set time period for 'getting over rape,' just like there's no set time period to 'getting over grief.' Take as much time as you need to heal. Also remember that studies have shown false rape reports only happen 2 percent of the time, so no matter how unlikely another person's rape story sounds to you, there's a 98 percent chance they're telling the truth. Also please remember that you are more likely to be raped by someone you know intimately than by someone you're unfamiliar with.

"Rape should be reported so the perpetrator can't hurt anyone else, and no matter what the circumstances, it is _never_ the victim's fault. Rape is never your fault. It doesn't matter what you were wearing, or how much you drank, or if you were the enemy. If men are allowed to dress up and get drunk and be stupid, so are women. It is _never_ your fault. And the raping of enemy women by soldier men is just a stupid way to prove they're better than the men they've defeated, by raping the women who are supposedly 'theirs.'

"You don't belong to anyone. Even when married, you are your own person. And you should be allowed to wear whatever you want. It's not that _you_ should be taught to suppress yourself, it's that _men_ should be taught to keep their dicks in their pants. Got it?"

The girls nodded solemnly. "Yes, Sensei."

"Never let someone make you feel inferior because you are a woman," said Anko. "This is especially important for incoming kunoichi, because women have only been allowed to be soldiers for about three generations and are still never considered for any important or meaningful roles, despite the fact that we actually are sometimes required to learn and sacrifice more than the men do for infiltration missions. We are often looked down on and considered weaker than men.

"But I mean more than that. It's okay to be a masculine woman. It's okay to be a feminine woman. It's okay to be a homosexual woman, or a straight woman. It's okay to not know what kind of woman you are yet. It's okay for your gender to be different from your biological sex. It's okay for your gender to be the same as your biological sex.

"Never let anyone make you feel inferior because you are a woman. Not for any reason."

* * *

"Your last academic lesson is on the ninja rules," said Anko. "These are fifty rules of ninja etiquette that all shinobi must know for out in the field, and you will have to memorize each one. Here's the catch, though - you also have to explain to me on the tests what you think each rule _means_.

"Upon becoming a shinobi, one must abide by specific rules when out in the field. Ninja follow this code in order to "kill their emotions," preventing them from running wild and causing the mission to be a failure. The most important thing for a shinobi is to be a tool for achieving their village and country's goals. Emotions are considered unnecessary things. That's why I told you to find a way to be your own person and let out your own feelings in private or in your free time.

"Let's go through some examples and analyze them.

"A shinobi must always put the mission first. This means you must always attain the objective, even at the cost of lives.

"A shinobi must never show their tears. Notice the rule does not say not to have any tears. It just says not to show them on the battlefield.

"A shinobi must see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings. This means to always analyze everything and learn to have an analytical and observant mind. Always see the truth within any lie.

"A shinobi must follow their commander's instructions. If your commander breaks the law, your commander will be punished - not you. This also means that as a commander you take responsibility for all things done within your unit.

"A shinobi must prepare before it is too late. Think of and be prepared for any eventuality.

"A shinobi must never show any weakness. Even if things are going wrong for you, do not be disturbed on the surface, for it will give your enemy an advantage.

"A shinobi must always watch their back. Never let anyone get behind you physically, and never let any enemy get under your guard socially.

"A shinobi must always be two steps ahead of their enemy. Planning and strategy are essential in any battle.

"These are just a few of the rules you will have to memorize and explain."


	10. Chapter 10

10.

 _Hinata POV_

"Today," said my father, "you will begin learning Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.

"In this technique, with the Byakugan's near 360 degree field of vision, the user envisions an Eight Trigrams sealing circle. Then the enemy within this circle is hit with a series of violent blows. By striking sixty-four of the tenketsu throughout the opponent's Chakra Pathway System, their chakra flow is stopped, making them unable to even stand.

"Once someone is within range of the user's field of divination - or range of reach - the user assumes a Gentle Fist stance and begins to deliver the attack: First, two consecutive strikes to make two. Second, another two consecutive strikes to make four. Third, four consecutive strikes to make eight. Fourth, eight consecutive strikes to make sixteen. Fifth, sixteen consecutive strikes to make thirty-two. Sixth, another thirty-two consecutive strikes in succession to make a total of sixty-four strikes. The sixth consecutive attack needs a strong step forward, because without it the technique will fail.

"Each set of strikes is done at an exponentially increasing pace and strength. The attack not only disables the enemy but also knocks them back with every set of strikes.

"This technique is only passed down from the Hyuuga main head to one of their children," my father added, looking down at me reservedly. "It is one of those techniques no branch member could know."

My eyes widened, and then I bowed low. "I am honored, Father," I said, surprised - in spite of myself.

It took me a long time to get down Sixty-Four Palms. My father had to be quite harsh with me. It was hard to coordinate all that at once, the exponentially faster precise strikes, the steps forward.

When I finally hit one of my father's clones and it crippled over, disappearing in a puff of smoke, however, I paused, breathing hard, beaming in delight.

"Now," said my father, "you will practice it until you can do it everytime without fail."

Soon it became secondhand to me. "You are within my range of divination," I would say quietly in a deadly voice, looking up through my dark hair, and then my hands would flash out in a blur.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"Today you will learn the Mind Body Reading Technique," said my father. "In it, as long as you can look the person in the eye, you can read their mind without entering their body. You use your eyes as a jumping off point into theirs, rather like with Mind Body Switch Technique.

"This has applications not only for gaining information from the enemy, but for reading what they are about to do in a fight.

"So. Look into my eyes and loosen focus, as in Mind Body Switch, but at the same time keep your hara tight and centered, keeping yourself grounded."

It took a while to get down the two things together. At first, I would either enter his body, or I would keep myself too grounded and not move at all. I tried tricking him and guessing what he was thinking based on what I knew about him and his body movements - no go.

"Ino," he would say sternly, "be serious."

"Fine," I pouted.

At last, I got it. My focus narrowed, and I began hearing his thoughts running in an arc. "You're remembering the first time you met Mom," I realized, my eyes widening. "How she told you the meaning behind the flower in the Yamanaka Clan symbol."

He smiled sadly. "Go make up with your mother," he said. "She's stubborn, but she was just concerned and trying to help you. I think she feels a bit misplaced by Anko."

Hesitantly, I walked up to my Mom later in the flower shop. "I'll take over," I said, going to stand at the front desk. She left coldly and silently, as she had often lately. "Hey, Mom," I said, and when she turned to look at me, I realized I didn't know quite what to say. "... I'm sorry," I managed at last. "I am trying to be a good kunoichi, you know."

"... I have accepted, Ino, that your path in life may be different from mine," she said at last. "No apology is necessary."

But she was much warmer to me after that.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

"Gotta go train, Dad!" I said, grabbing an apple and giving him a kiss on the cheek on the way by as I ran out the orchard to be with Mom. I'd been working out all morning; I felt a pleasant kind of high and I was shining with sweat.

"Have fun, sweetie," he told me.

"Hey, Dad." I turned around curiously.

"Yeah?" He looked up in surprise.

"Why aren't _you_ teaching me anything about genjutsu?"

He smiled cheerfully. "Your grandmother would never forgive me if I let you learn illusions from a man," he said.

I smiled back and ran out to be with Mom, scarfing down the apple on my way. (I could have just stolen one from one of the fruit trees, but Mom always scolded me when I did that.) "So what now?" I said, my mouth full of food.

"Today," said my mother, "you will learn to bind someone using genjutsu. This has two steps: first, you learn how to control the person's limbs from the center of their cerebral nervous system. Second, you give them the illusory tactile feeling that they have been bound together."

"Is this anything like Ino's body control technique?" I asked, frowning thoughtfully.

"Not exactly. It's tougher to control someone's fingers enough to make them grab a kunai knife and stab themselves, for example. Though if the enemy's near a cliff, you could make them walk right off of it. Or you could make them bash their head against a rock. Limbs and head are about all a genjutsu user can manage as far as control goes."

So I learned how to control the limbs and head of various clones, having them do different things, giving them the tactile sensation of being within invisible binds.

"Try to go for the surprise factor," my mother suggested. "Make them think they're in a ninjutsu that involves paralysis or invisible binds."

* * *

 _All POV_

Meanwhile, each girl was finding further hobbies.

Sakura started writing poetry - mostly longer-form poetry, starting a new one every few days. She wrote about a whole wide variety of things going on in her life, and moved from personal venting to telling stories about other characters she made up in her head.

Ino took to dancing. She went to dance studios and took partner-dancing lessons, her favorite becoming swing.

Hinata began baking. She had a major sweet tooth, and so one of her favorite relaxing things to do was cook big batches of breads, cookies, cakes, and pies for herself and her family and friends. Some whispered that cooking and baking in the kitchen were beneath the Hyuuga clan heiress, but people had been whispering for years that pottering around in the garden like her mother did was unbefitting of a clan head's wife.

It hadn't bothered Hinata's mother and it certainly wasn't going to bother Hinata.


	11. Chapter 11

_Author's Notes:_ Sex is also talked about in this chapter.

* * *

11.

 _All POV_

"I will be teaching you how to bind an enemy first and foremost," said Anko in the training field. "But that's not the important thing."

"It isn't?" said Hinata in confusion.

"No. Any ninja worth their salt can break out of any knot and any bind. That is what I will be teaching you.

"I will also be teaching you lessons in how to sketch routes, landmarks, and faces, in case you need to give evidence or directions to a comrade."

So they practiced their drawing skills - Ino already had a leg up, and got to boss the others around to her heart's content - and they practiced tying up each other and breaking out of those binds. Anko expected nothing less than perfection from both the drawings and the binds, so meeting up to her standards was hard.

But they were used to this, and slowly, they succeeded.

* * *

"So," said Anko, "now we get to the big one. How to sexually seduce a guy.

"Okay, I'm going to take you through this step by step - from foreplay all the way to what happens in the bedroom. It's a slow process. Sexually seducing a man can take all night. It starts with looking good, dressing in a beautiful kimono with makeup and your hair done well and your neck painted, etc. But it doesn't end there - looking good is only one part of the scheme.

"We start with games.

"Games are important," she said, when the girls looked confused. "Games are an excellent starter, a nice background to conversation, and a way to be playful and have fun. How you play the game depends on the character of the guy you're seducing. You should always find that kind of thing out beforehand. Sort of like how you research his culture? Well, you also research his personality.

"For example, say you want to seduce a guy who sees women as weak and needs his ego stroked. I know your gut instinct is probably to beat that asshole into next Tuesday, but that's not going to get you what you need from him. So the best strategy there is to pretend to be bad at the game and lose, asking him for advice and tips and making it look like you need to rely on him.

"But other guys can be really turned on by an intelligent girl. They like a challenge. They like someone who can stand up to them. That's why I say how you play the games depends on what kind of man you're seducing. But the end game is always to act playful, mischievous, and fun-loving.

"So I'm going to teach you games, both traditional and flirtatious. I'm going to show you how to act during the games first, and then you mirror that back to me when it's your turn. Get it?"

And so she took them through lessons in how to play various games, including chess, cards, shogi, and go. She took them through word games and games of truth or dare. To get good at them was the first step. Then to make them flirtatious was the next step. To lace truth or dare with innuendo or sexual truths (made-up or real) was one way, to turn the game into a "strip" game was another way.

And then there was how they played the games themselves. Whether they were good or bad, how they laughed and had fun and did the coy, shy mischief game. Anko didn't recommend teasing - "It could deflate their ego. It's not safe."

But she _did_ teach them in the process about how to carry on a conversation and how to flirt. "A true seductress can carry on a conversation with even the most taciturn man," Anko said. "By asking him questions about himself, and by making statements that lead into questions. The whole point is to keep the exchange going. Then to hint at your own sexuality or compliment the man on his subtly is the next step. It's a fine art."

This art, they acquired through practice.

Hinata struggled most with expressing her sensuality and carrying on conversation. "If it helps, take that smooth, dignified elegance and make it work for you," said Anko. "You don't have to be very overt. Just hint at things, give slight, shy smiles, be soft spoken and sweet. Pay lots of compliments. Take your sweet shyness and make it work for you, and do not lose that native elegance."

Ino, on the other hand, was _great_ with being extroverted, bubbly, playful, and seductive. She took to it like a duck to water. It was like she had found her home. She was great at bringing people out of their shells and getting around any armor and just having fun.

Sakura was excellent at games - naturally intellectual, she immediately excelled at games and puzzles. Her problem was that she was often too serious. Anko was at a loss with this at first, but finally she said, "You don't have to be all big smiles and high voices. You could be one of the small, hidden smiles and the low, sensual voice. The hidden playfulness. Remember how I said men love mystery? Be mysterious and sensual, mesmerizing."

Sakura also struggled somewhat with this at first, mainly because she lacked the kind of overt self confidence Ino had. But when she took Anko-sensei's previous advice and pretended she was a beautiful, sensuous, mysterious lady, naturally, she became one. And through this, she learned to lighten up a little and have a bit of fun.

These personas even began to bleed into their other arts, like dancing and tea ceremony.

"It helps," said Anko, "that these acts are not entirely a lie. They're not untrue to your regular personalities. Rather, in Zen style, they are a persona created by your real personality. So you are being yourself, even when you're not. You are being something you create, and that is a part of you. You are not necessarily losing yourself in any act, you are just changing your real self slightly to suit the current times."

* * *

"Our next lesson," said Anko, "is in how to drink without getting drunk. Alcohol is the ultimate social lubricant, the great secret in making male ninja do stupid things like have sex and blurt out secrets to hot women they don't know. You can keep filling their glass and distract them with games and conversation and have them drinking all night and get them drunk. But how do _you_ drink all night without getting drunk, and thus keep your head?

"Here are some tips:

"Drink the milder drinks - don't just take shot after shot of the harder stuff. It's hard to get drunk on a night of beer or wine, for example, if you only have, say, one glass per hour. But shots are small yet have the power of a whole beer or glass of wine, and if you just keep taking them, you're going to get completely shit-faced. Also, avoid mixed drinks - there could be like five beers or glasses of wine in one mixed drink. You just don't fucking know.

"Also, eat and drink glasses of water while you're drinking alcohol. Don't make it very obvious. Don't eat a goddamn five-course meal in front of the guy. Make it subtle, a sip of water here and there, another handful of snacks from the bowl.

"Also, draw your glass of alcohol out for as long as possible. Sip at it as slowly as it is humanly possible to sip. If you don't have to keep him in the room for very long, you could even just pretend to drink - you might not even have to drink at all. But do definitely keep refilling his drink.

"Avoid pairing sugary drinks with your alcohol, or sugar in general with your alcohol. A spike in blood sugar levels combined with alcohol is not a good thing if you want to stay sober.

"Drink a cup of orange juice right before going to bed, which will help you avoid a hangover the next morning.

"I'm also going to add in this lesson, since it doesn't go anywhere in particular. Say you need to wear kimono, but you also need to slit a guy's throat while he's asleep. Where do you hide your weapons?

"Either in the pocket sleeve of your kimono, under the obi of your kimono, or in your hair bun is probably the best bet. Any way you do it, you'll have the weapon with you at all times. Make sure it's small and unobtrusive and looks decorative in nature.

"And then after his throat is slit, make a stealthy getaway. You will learn more about stealth later on in our lessons together - I'm not just going to just leave you hanging in that department."

* * *

"Next I'm going to teach you about massage. You're going to practice by giving massages to each other. If you're being massaged: let the masseuse know when anything is not pleasurable. If you're the masseuse: follow my damn instructions. Ya got that?"

"Yes, Anko-sensei!"

"Okay, so I'm going to focus on shoulder, back, and neck massage. This is one of the most relaxing types of massages, and it's also great because you can ask the guy to take his shirt off which means he's already half-naked and some of your work is done for you. Woohoo.

"Some tips for a good massage:

"Learn how much pressure to apply. In general, you should be firm enough that you feel and see the muscle move, yet not firm enough for it to be uncomfortable or painful. Learning this is going to take some trial and error.

"Don't go fast and irritate the man's skin (and yours). Focus on slow, even strokes.

"Never press on bones or joints. You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised.

"There are special tools you can use to add emphasis to your massage. I've laid a few of them out here for you. Basically, you take these tools and you use them to roll over the muscles in the person's shoulders and back. Buy some of your own eventually if you'd like.

"There are also warm oils you can use to rub onto the person's back, neck, and shoulders. When possible, you should always use some of the person's favorite scents.

"Put a lot of focus on the shoulders. We carry so much tension in our shoulders - especially as ninja, which is a stressful job. The more stressful the ninja's job is, the more you focus on the shoulders. You shoulder massage by grabbing both shoulders from behind and using the thumbs to push down, slowly and gently, on the muscles. Make sure they move underneath your fingers.

"For the back, put your hands on their hips. Those two thick, stiff columns your thumbs land on are the muscles responsible for keeping you upright. They're made to be tight or else you'd fall over, but rubbing them can relax a painful lower back.

"Now this is when the fun part happens. Next you straddle him. If you really want to go all-sex, you can be naked or in nothing but a towel while you do this. While straddling him, position one hand on his lower back muscle, with fingers pointing away from his spine. Place your other hand on top of the first hand. Use your body weight to push down slowly, pressing the heels of your hands into the muscle like you're pushing it away from his spine. Try one hand on either side of the spine; rock back and forth. If he has trouble lying on his stomach, place a pillow under his hips to ease the pressure.

"And then comes the neck. While he's on his stomach or sitting up, gently place your palm on the back of his neck, creating light pressure with your thumb on one side and four fingers on the other. Slowly pull your hand toward the back of the neck while squeezing your thumb and fingers together around those neck muscles. (Avoid pressure toward the front of the neck so you don't choke him.)

"Now, you're going to watch me and do what I do. The best way to learn massage is by watching and doing. And we will take turns giving each other massages.

"Nudity not included. Sorry if you're into that."

Anko grinned as the girls blushed and glared.

* * *

"And now we get to the strip tease," said Anko. "First, it should all be atmospheric - lights dimmed, for example, candles, soft sheets. If you have time to decorate the room you'll be having sex in, do it before the night of. That way the ambience can be right from the massage and all the way through into the sex.

"As you strip, make it slow, playful, and painful. String it out. Make him want you. That's really one of the best pieces of advice I can give.

"Now, as to the rest: you're going to practice this. Yes I am serious. I'm not going to tell you to practice sex, but I am going to tell you to practice stripping. And there will be absolutely no immaturity while you're doing this, and your teammates are going to tell you honestly and politely how well they think you did. Are we clear?"

There was a surprised silence.

"Very good. Among the skills you are going to learn: the strut, the gliding of your fingers (not your palms) across your skin, the occasional well-timed eye contact, the arched back, and the actual techniques involved in taking off your clothes in a slow and seductive way.

"So. Let's begin."

"I don't know how she did it, but she made that sound really threatening," Ino muttered to a surprised and uncertain Sakura and Hinata.

* * *

"The first tip I am going to tell you when it comes to sex is to just ask him. Ask him how he likes it, what he likes, what he fantasizes about. One thing I cannot over-emphasize is be open to kink. Don't feel like you have to be embarrassed about something, though being a little shy can really play up the whole seductive factor. If he likes it, he likes it. It's that simple. At least pretend you like it, too. If he wants it rough, yank his hair and bruise him. If he wants it gentle, be slow and sweet.

"Obviously, this only applies to infiltration missions. In your personal life, never do anything you're not comfortable with.

"The biggest piece of advice I can give you besides that is to be interactive. Don't just lay there. Play with little parts of him, stroke, kiss, and fondle different parts of him - hickies can be good. Be interactive, is the general tone to my next advice.

"And I'm going to teach you about certain techniques, including how to give a blow job and a hand job - _well_. Anyone can do one, but the thing is to do one _well_.

"I will also be giving you a book full of various positions you can try.

"The thing about this part of lessons is that there's only so much I can teach you by having you read or by talking. Some of this will only come through experience, and I can't force you into that, nor do I want to.

"So aside from the big lessons, pieces of advice, and techniques, I'm not sure if I have much to offer you in this section."

* * *

"There are a few essential things you need to know about killing out in the field, and that's the point of this last lesson.

"So let's talk about murder.

"Eventually, out in the field, you will have to kill someone. It's going to happen. Ninja kill people.

"The one iron rule I want you to remember is: _Did you have to do it?_ If it was a part of your mission, if they were doing bad things, if they were trying to hurt people important to you, then yes you absolutely had to do it.

"And it's an awful thing, but that's the truth. If you had to do it, if you were ordered to do something or trying to protect someone important to you, you do not need to feel guilty or suicidal because of what you did. But if you _do_ feel that way, seek help immediately, even if it's just from a friend.

"Also remember that feeling bad about killing someone proves you're not some robotic, emotionless monster. Feelings of remorse are not always a bad thing. That's what Konoha teaches. We have a philosophy called The Will of Fire. This means we protect our village and everyone within our village, and we should only kill someone with that end goal. All human life is precious. Don't kill unless you have to, but if you have to, know that remorse makes you human and that sometimes killing someone is necessary.

"Another thing to remember when it comes to killing: the remorse shouldn't set in immediately. The horrible feelings and memories are usually delayed till after the adrenaline has died down. Then they kick up. So be prepared for that. You're going to feel a high of adrenaline, and then crash and feel like shit about yourself. It happens.

"One last thing I feel I need to talk about: there is a psychological toll that playacting can take. Unfortunately, playacting is an essential part of being a ninja and especially a kunoichi. You must mask your emotion out in the field, and mask your true reactions when infiltrating. And this will be very difficult.

"The best piece of advice I can offer you is: wait until you're in a private place, and then find some way to vent or admit your true feelings. Even if it just means you're talking or crying to yourself. And after hard missions, take lots of relaxing me time. Journal about your feelings, do something that makes you feel good, relax and take a breather. That kind of thing. Do not just pitch yourself immediately back into training. This also applies when you have lost someone - relax and have some down time first.

"Use the relaxation techniques you have come up with, and let them help you keep sane."

There was a solemn tone to the room by the end. Anko hoped she was heading off anything too horrible coming up in the future.

* * *

"You will only be sent out on infiltration missions as older shinobi, 16 at the youngest," said Anko. "But you are now prepared." And here, she gave a small smile. "Well done."

It was the first big compliment she had ever paid them.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

 _All POV_

Anko taught them stealth by taking them out to various fields, like golf courses they weren't usually allowed into, and having them sneak through those fields without getting caught.

"Sensei," Sakura muttered at last as Anko led them through the underbrush one day, "what if we get caught?"

"If we get caught, I'll take the fall," said Anko. "But we won't get caught."

Hinata looked steady and accepting, like she had faith in her Sensei. Ino looked positively excited.

They learned how to conceal themselves in high grass and shrubs, and behind trees. They learned how to move through thick tangles of branches while making no sound. They learned to breathe through their nose, not their mouth, while trying to be stealthy. One interesting thing they learned was how to smell water, so they didn't make sound by suddenly splashing upon some - that went back to the "use your nose, not your mouth" lesson.

They rarely went to the same place twice. It was vital for Anko-sensei that they train themselves to be constantly aware, such as the awareness that comes from new environments. They trained themselves to be silent on all kinds of terrain: water, grass, loose gravel, hillsides, carpeting.

They also were taught how to break into buildings - usually by using ninja wire connected to a kunai to swing across to a window, and then sneaking around and breaking in through the window by picking the lock. Once inside, absolute silence and intimate awareness of your surroundings was necessary. Anko had them break illegally into several buildings at night to practice this, which was even more nerve-wracking than sneaking across forbidden fields.

Stealth came in several elements. First came sense deception. Sight was the most crucial of the enemy's senses to deceive. Methods of camouflage involved disguise, concealment, and alteration of appearance. Methods of confusion included visual distraction, the contrast between bright light and darkness, and optical illusions.

Sense of smell was especially important around people with animals like dogs. The ninja must be careful about wind patterns, staying downwind or disguising their smell.

Wind was also important to remember to deceive the enemy's hearing. Certain crackling and rustling sounds could not be avoided while moving through wild areas, no matter how skilled the ninja was, so ninja had to be taught during those times to disguise their sound with other natural sounds. Traffic, machinery, conversation, even wind. If none of these things were available, the ninja could throw something to make a sound in a different part of the field, and use that distracting sound to disguise their own crackling movements.

But usually, a ninja was completely silent. There was a special walking technique to be learned called phantom steps, and Anko-sensei made the girls practice this even when walking around the village or around their home until they had the art of silence completely mastered and it came naturally to them.

There were different phantom steps to be used for different situations. The Small Step, for example, was a small, stabbing step used to move silently through shallow water and dry leaves. The objective was to get beneath the surface of the water or leaves without making noise. Sideways Walking was used to move stealthily in the shadows of buildings and negotiate tight passageways. The Sweeping Step was used to move across wooden planks or straw matting without being detected.

Anko sometimes tested their effectiveness at walking techniques by spreading out several sheets thick newspapers, and then thoroughly drenching them, so that missteps and slips would show up as tears or folds in the wet paper. The girls would have to walk across the papers without tearing or making any sound.

Beyond walking techniques, they were also taught to practice doing all other movements in complete silence. Sitting, standing, moving objects, etc. All must be done carefully, with no unnecessary movements, and in complete silence.

They were then taught to catch sight of other ninja who were trying to be silent and blend in with their surroundings, which Anko said out on missions would be equally important.

This tied into their trap-making lessons.

"Okay," said Anko. "Now we get to trap making. In theory it's pretty simple: you use hidden ninja equipment combinations to surprise unwary happen-upponers."

"Happen-upponers? Is that even a word?"

"It is because I say it is! Now. I say it's simple in theory, but in reality crafting a good trap is pretty complex. There are a lot of things you have to take into consideration.

"First: are they expecting a trap? If so, you can set up a fake trap, and then once they've discovered it and you've lured them into a false sense of security, bam you unveil the real one.

"Are they ninja or non-ninja? Ninja have been trained to look for traps. If you're trying to trick ninja, you've got your work cut out for you. You've gotta step it up a notch.

"But essentially, there are only a certain number of things you can use in traps. You can use ninja wire, where if the wire is tripped weapons or smoke bombs rain down upon unsuspecting heads. You can hide explosive tags in various ways. You can use hidden containment seals to seal away anyone who walks into their line of fire. Or, if you know genjutsu, you can work with that.

"Those are the four main types.

"So, with that said, here's what we're going to do. I will have each of you hide in the forest in turn and craft a trap. The other two will sense out the person and try to discover their trap without triggering it. And then you will just pit your wits against one another until you get better and better.

"Of course, I will be on hand to pull people out of the line of fire and make sure nobody dies."

And so the girls practiced their sensing to find their teammates, which Anko thought would be useful to them in the future anyway - familiarity with your teammates was good. The traps were really easy to spot at first, and not all that complicated. But as time wore on, they learned to use cover without the cover being obvious, and their trap ideas got more complex, and they became better and better. And after that came a _lot_ of students thinking they were about to die, and Anko pulling them away.

That was when their observational skills, first trained in stealth, really started to come into play.

Sakura preferred trigger wires hidden by leaves - hard to see, harder to avoid, and vicious. A favorite ploy of hers also became showing a false trap on the surface, and crafting a real one that was harder to see. Ino enjoyed burying explosive tags under the ground, covering them with fresh grass, and creating a hidden minefield. Anko suspected this was partly because Ino liked loud noises. Hinata preferred containment seals - not out of any sense of sympathy, but because they were easy to hide, hard to see, no mess no fuss, and the enemy could then be released later for interrogation.

Their hiding skills were also put to the test in this section - part of a good trap was not suspecting there was a ninja lying in wait for you.

There were still other ways to confuse an enemy's senses, however. They were taught to use smoke bombs, to attack the victim's eyes, or even to throw materials into the victim's eyes from a far distance.

And then came the art of disguise, which was simply fascinating. These were basically acting classes. They would dress up like people they were not, innocent civilians, and act convincingly to be those people, all the while concealing weapons somewhere on their person.

"You are lucky," said Anko. "You are women. You are always underestimated. Pretend to be a simple young civilian woman or a geisha, act helpless and infantile, or on the flip side highly seductive, and you can fool almost anyone. Men especially will naturally nurse tender feelings toward you. Even older kunoichi can pretend to be helpless old women, and conceal a weapon inside their cane."

So these were the acts they focused on mastering.

"A couple of things to remember when putting on a disguise or act," said Anko. "Always know the geography of the place you're pretending to live in or be from. And always fake the proper accent, slangs, and jargon. Basically, as in seduction, do your research."

* * *

Next came lessons in how to be an espionage agent or a commando.

"There are six guiding steps to successful espionage," said Anko. "First, you must plant agents. The ninja agent must go undetected, and so must keep a low profile. His cover depends on him just being 'one of the common people.' A successful espionage agent acts just like any other civilian, even if he's watching something horrible happen before his very eyes.

"There are a few different approaches in how to plant spies. The earth approach involves careful, strategic placement of spies as ordinary people prior to a conflict happening. The water approach involves putting in the enemy a false sense of security - for example, by allowing an agent to be caught and having them at length divulge false information. Women are good in the water role - psychology, intuition, and manipulation of men must be our specialties. We lull the men into a false sense of security. The most important thing, however, is never to fall in love with the target.

"The fire approach involves turning the enemy's own people against them, and having the enemy's own people become your spies. The wind approach involves an agent appearing to go over to the enemy's side, and being accepted as a soldier of their own. The void approach uses all of these tactics.

"Once the ninja has planted agents, his goals and then his strategy must be determined. The next step is to sow confusion among the enemy's ranks with false or misleading information. Then comes breaching the enemy lines using the surprise found through the false and misleading information, and finally penetrating an enemy's stronghold. Usually through an enemy camp's weak point, while the enemy is otherwise occupied somewhere else. Once inside the enemy's camp, someone must provide a distraction for the enemy guards while the real work is done. Stealth, of course, which I've taught you, is also a must in this situation."

* * *

"For psychological warfare," said Anko, "the first step is to look at things as they really are, not as you want them to be. This is very Zen - the ridding yourself of desire to see things in a certain way. Often we see the world through rose colored spectacles, but we can't do that as ninja. We have to rid ourselves of a desire to see the ideal, especially in people."

She was thinking of Orochimaru-sensei and his deception and abandonment of her as she said this. She sobered.

"People are ugly. Sorry to break it to ya, kiddies. You are going to meet ninja out there in the field who are very dark psychologically, and you must not only look that darkness in the eye, but understand it and use it against them. This can be scary, and very hard. But it is the kind of psychological warfare ninja must play.

"At the same time, if all you see is darkness inside the person, that's not good either. You must also see the potential good, and use that against them when possible. So it's two sided. Basically, you have to see things as they really are."

Her students looked thoughtful.

"You must also stop your useless emotional responses to others. You can have emotions, but don't let them control your lives. Get rid of negative responses based on worry and fear and insult and the desire to please others - they make you a weak and easy target. At the same time, do bring out those responses in others.

"Recognize an adversary's needs and fears. Use them to bend him into submission. This is known as shadow warfare."

There were five big potential weaknesses in the enemy for ninja to search for and exploit, and each corresponded to an element:

\- Earth corresponded to laziness.

\- Water represented the rashness of anger.

\- Fire corresponded to the blindness produced by fear.

\- Wind represented those who were too softhearted and overly sympathetic, or who were too openly loving.

\- The Void corresponded to vanity - any kind of pride or arrogance.

All were weaknesses that could be exploited by a skilled ninja.

There were also the five needs:

\- Earth corresponded to security.

\- Water represented sex.

\- Fire corresponded to wealth.

\- Wind represented pride.

\- The Void corresponded to pleasure.

Giving or withholding any of these needs, depending on the person, could bend the person into submission. Starving and threatening to kill were not always necessary.

"One of my last psychological lessons," said Anko, "is that in order to overcome these weaknesses in yourself, so they can't be used against you, you must practice rigorous self knowledge. Once more, Zen like, without becoming attached to some permanent idea of yourself. People can change with situations. If you understand your emotions and desires, this is the key to them not controlling your life. Notice which of these weaknesses you are most prone to at any given time - do _not_ give into them."


	13. Chapter 13

13.

 _Hinata POV_

"Your final series of lessons," said my father, "involves emanating chakra from all of your tenketsu at once. This can be used to make shields and full-body attacks. Emanating chakra from all our tenketsu is a unique ability only the Hyuuga have. And remember, Hyuuga chakra is supernaturally strong."

So I began training myself to emanate chakra - not just from a few tenketsu, but from all of them at once. This took great effort and strong chakra. It took me weeks to master it. To master shaking as blue chakra floated out all over my body. I then moved on to mastering pushing chakra from different bodily areas.

"Now," said my father at the end, "I will begin to show you what you can do with it."

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"One of your final techniques," said my father, "is the Mind Body Transmission Technique.

"The Mind Body Transmission Technique allows the user to telepathically communicate with other people. Using this technique, the user may also act as a medium for persons to communicate with one another telepathically.

"The user can communicate with multiple people at once and the targets can also communicate with one another while the technique is in effect. This technique is not limited to just transmitting thoughts, and images such as memories or even strong feelings can be conveyed through this method.

"The more people that are in connection through this technique however, the more a physical strain is put on the user, forcing them to keep the connection going for shorter periods to avoid sustaining injuries. If you try to communicate for too long with too many people at once, your mind will be overwhelmed and you _can_ die. Quite painfully, I might add.

"Learning this technique has two elements. First, you must learn to sense any minds in your area, a useful skill. Keep in mind that you cannot read them unless you look into their eye - you can simply sense that they are there.

"Second, you send out a tendril of chakra in the direction of the mind you wish to talk to, and then send a thought through that link. You should learn to sense the minds of your friends, family, and teammates, and teach them how to talk through the link, so you can communicate with them wordlessly no matter what if they are nearby."

I began by reaching out my chakra to skim the surface around me, searching for other minds. Once I found my father's, I latched onto it with a tendril of chakra. The next step was to make a strong connection, then send a thought through the link.

I started sending my friends, family, and teammates silly thoughts all the time, much to my delight and their annoyance. My teammates, of course, learned how to communicate with me through the mind link immediately.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

"One of your final lessons is in layered genjutsu and field-wide genjutsu," said my mother. "Layered genjutsu means you layer genjutsu on top of one another - and the victim breaks out of one genjutsu only to fall right into another. Field wide genjutsu means making a genjutsu illusion appear for more than one person at once.

"Both take more chakra than you're used to, so this is going to take some work."

I passed out a lot at first. But slowly, I built up my chakra more and my reach of genjutsu and number of layers became greater and greater. The hardest part was concentrating on a fight while doing that kind of thing at the same time, which my mother forced into me by using clones to spar and fight with me as I tried to keep up layered and field wide genjutsu, constantly moving around and around the field and attacking from different hidden angles.

That was when I learned how vicious my mother was in taijutsu, and how vicious I could be myself.

* * *

I was watching Ino and Hinata spar using Ninja Fist in the training field one afternoon, watched over by Anko. We had really become so much better in our taijutsu, but I was ashamed to admit that wasn't actually what I was thinking about. I sighed, chin in my hand, staring off into space, falling into a daydream.

"What's up? You've been lost in thought a lot lately."

I jumped and looked around to find Anko had sat down next to me. I blushed. "Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah," said Anko, blunt and to the point as usual. "So what's going on? Inquiring minds wanna know."

"Anko-sensei," I sighed, "I hate that fictional characters aren't real."

"Got you first crush, huh?" Anko mused.

My face became even hotter, but I nodded. "There's this book character. And he's all dark and quiet and handsome and sarcastic and smart and awkward. And… it's just not _fair_." I felt a fierce pain inside my chest. "I know that sounds silly," I muttered, looking away. "But… I still wish he were here."

"It's not silly," said Anko, surprising me. I looked up. "Crushes are a funny thing. They work in strange ways. And trust me when I say having a crush on a storybook character is much safer than having a crush in real life. Your fictional crush can't let you down, and is preserved forever within the pages of a good book.

"But remember this. Characters are an ideal. They're an idealized version of ourselves we put forward, and they don't have the flaws and ability to converse back with you that living people do. So if you always have fictional crushes instead of real-life crushes… you might be looking for an ideal, more than the real thing."

I nodded thoughtfully.

But later, that night at home, I still looked lovingly over the pages of the book. I sat back, clutching the book to my chest and sighing, smiling happily. I gazed at the ceiling and wondered if there really was someone like him out there, waiting for me…

Sometimes the idea seemed hopeless, impossible.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

Anko-sensei found me exercising back at the training ground late one evening, blasting punk rock music on my headphones to distract myself from my pain and exhaustion. I discovered she was there when I gasped and looked up and she was standing right in front of me, her arms folded. I skidded to a halt, taking my earbuds out in confusion.

"... So," she said conversationally. "Your curves are coming in."

"Yeah," I said defensively. "So?"

"That wouldn't have anything to do with why you're doing extra workouts, would it?"

I sighed. "Damn," I muttered in annoyance. "Look, I… I don't like my butt," I admitted. "It's too big."

She bent around and took a good look at my ass. "Only in comparison to your boobs," she said.

"Sensei. Not helping."

"I know, I know. Okay. Serious time. Look, Ino. Your curves _are_ really coming in before the other two's. And it's natural to feel uncomfortable with your new body at first.

"But honestly, your butt looks fine. You have boobs and a butt and no one's really going to notice the flaws except you. Don't let society shame you into telling you what to do with your body.

"You already look great."

I sighed and gave a weak smile, still nervous about this new body of mine. "... Thanks, Sensei."

* * *

 _Hinata POV_

I must have looked depressed as I was walking along toward the training area one day, because Anko came up and flicked me in the head.

"Look alive, Hyuuga," she said.

"Yes, Sensei," I sighed.

"Uh-oh. Fight with your father?"

"Not exactly…" I fiddled with my hands and looked away. "You're going to laugh at me," I said, pained.

"I promise not to laugh at you. Very much."

"It's a stupid thing to be upset about."

"Okay. And what would your Buddhist master say?"

"... To acknowledge pain as necessary in order to overcome it," I admitted. "Okay, so. There's this celebrity. They're my favorite - funny and rebellious and self confident. And they've stopped using social media."

"... Yeah," said Anko. "And?"

"And I'm upset and I don't know why!" I said, looking up at her with big eyes. "It's so frustrating. I don't know why it bothers me so much!"

"Maybe because it's the only connection you had with someone you really admire?" Anko suggested. I became silent in thought. "You want to know what I think, Hinata?" she said. "I think you have a common problem - you're in love with the idea of the person more than the real thing."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"I mean, what could someone gleam of _your_ personality through a series of social media posts?"

"Not much," I admitted. "There's a lot of stuff I don't put on social media… Oh." My eyes widened in realization.

"Exactly." Anko ruffled my hair on the way by. "He's allowed to quit social media if he wants!" she tossed over her shoulder.

"How did you know it was a he?" I said, confused.

"Oh." There was a gleam in her eye. "Just a lucky guess."


	14. Chapter 14

14.

 _All POV_

Anko taught them tracking, using things like tree marks and footprints. She made them trail through forests and find her, and she taught them how to cover their own tracks so it was harder to track them.

She also put them through outdoor survival training. And for survival training, Anko just took them out to a forest on the edge of Konoha with absolutely no camping materials and made them spend three days with her in there. She didn't tell them this was what they were doing beforehand, mind you.

"Yup, that's right," she said casually, hands on her hips. "No food, no shelter, no showers for three whole days."

The old team, the one Anko had first met, would have shouted in horror. As they were now, the girls' eyes just widened a little bit. Then determination filled their expressions.

"Okay - what do we do?"

Anko smiled.

"There are nine tenets of surviving out in the wilderness. First is finding a suitable campsite."

They stayed high and dry. The girls were taught to avoid valleys and paths where water may flow toward them. They also had to choose a campsite free of things like insect nests, falling rocks, and dead branches that may crash down on them in the middle of the night. Preferably, they wanted to be close to running water, dry wood, and rocky walls and formations that shielded them from the elements.

So the girls chose a high cliff right above a river, safely away from the ledge, that had lots of dry trees nearby but none directly above their campsite. There was a rock formation on one side of the campsite to shield them from the elements. Check.

"Second is building a shelter."

They stacked dry branches in a shelter shape against the rock formation, layering leaves and moss on the erected wall. Then they insulated themselves further with a good six inches of debris to lie on inside the shelter. Check.

"Third is starting a fire."

Anko taught them to do this using a battery - any battery would do. The negative and positive terminals of Hinata's phone battery were connected to a foil gum wrapper from Ino's coat pocket and voila! A fire was started against more dry wood. Check.

"Fourth is building the fire."

Anko viewed fire building in terms of four key ingredients: tinder bundle of dry, fibrous material (Sakura's lip balm, in this case) and wood in three sizes—toothpick, Q-tip, and pencil. They used a forearm-sized log as a base and windscreen for their tinder. When the tinder was lit, they stacked the smaller kindling against the larger log, like a lean-to, to allow oxygen to pass through and feed the flames. They added larger kindling as the flame grew, until the fire was hot enough for bigger logs. Check.

"Fifth is finding clean water."

There was already-purified water, and what Anko called death-water. Already-purified water took a long time to collect, because it would only be found in rain, snow, and dew. Death-water was the kind found in puddles, streams, and rivers. After some thinking, the girls decided to hang a coiled bundle of chain from an erected stick stand above the fire, and pour some river water into the makeshift basin to boil out all the impurities. Check.

"Sixth is identifying what to eat."

They went for fish, lizards, frogs, and edible plants. Anko showed them and gave them charts of what edible plants looked like for each region of the Elemental Countries, and told them to seal away these charts like they were weapons. "You never know," she said, "one day they may save your life." They also learned how to make multi-pronged blades out of their current spears, in order to catch small critters like snakes and fish. Check.

They slept each night after a dinner of fish or lizards and boiled water. But soon enough they had to find their way back, and the lessons continued.

"Seventh is navigation."

Anko taught them how to navigate using several techniques, including compass, map, app, and even by the sky. The sun and the north-south line were both common methods of measurement for this last type during the day. Stars were an excellent way of navigation by night. Check.

"Eighth and ninth are tying knots and sending up smoke or mirror signals for help."

Anko taught them these things - Check - but they didn't really have any need of them. Dirty and grimy but rather proud of themselves, they navigated their way out of the forest and back into the village using combined efforts no problem.

* * *

"We will now get to team building, strategy, and psychological puzzle exercises," said Anko.

"The most important thing to remember when you're in a team out in the field is that you have to do your very best and train your very hardest for each mission. Because your teammates are counting on you, and if you don't do your best, one of them could die.

"With that said, also remember two things: The ultimate responsibility for how the mission goes rests on the team leader. And if you did your best and someone still died, crap happens. There's no need to feel personally responsible.

"Let me explain aspect one in more detail. If you're the team leader, as a Chuunin or Jounin, you strategize. You give out instructions and orders that must be followed. And you protect your weaker team members. Say your team is captured by the enemy. It is your job to step forward, take responsibility for the team, and show them how to behave. Right now I'm your team leader, so that's my job," Anko finished calmly.

"We do team building and mental exercises to train you for situations you may encounter out in the field. So I and my clones will pretend to be the enemy, we'll go to a training ground, I'll give you your situation, and you will act just as if you were on a real mission. Come at me, the enemy, with the intent to kill.

"We're doing it this way because especially if you become Chuunin or I die, I may not be there one hundred percent of the time. You guys may have to work as a lone unit one day. Understood?"

Team Kunoichi nodded seriously.

And so they began. One of Anko's favorite exercises was to send them into training ground 44, the Forest of Death, a circular dark forest with a river surrounded on all sides by wire fencing that was full of dangerous plants and animals. She would tie one collar with a brush around an animal's neck, and they would have to work together to follow the brush strokes and track the animal down through the dark, winding Forest of Death.

"Sakura! Snake at twelve o'clock!" barked Ino one day as they were jumping through the trees, a giant snake coming at them from the east side. Sakura wrapped an explosive tag around a kunai, threw the kunai, and the snake exploded as they continued on their leap through the trees.

"There!" said Hinata suddenly, using her Byakugan, pointing. "It's over there!"

They leaped down and threw wire netting over the snarling tiger. They jumped down, getting into defensive stances, but Anko leaped down before them. She waved a hand and the tiger calmed and went still.

"... Very good," said Anko, revealing nothing. "Now let's free this animal and send it back out into the forest."

* * *

"And now, at last, we get to chakra. You already know a lot about chakra. You know what it is in abstract, how it is formed, how it moves through your body. You know how to mix chakra left and right, though a person should usually do one over the other. You know how to center your chakra in your hara.

"Well, now, at last, you learn how to use chakra.

"You do techniques by mixing your chakra in the way that is correct for you, picturing what you want in your mind, and doing the correct hand signs for the technique. The twelve hand signs are these: Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Snake, Ox, Dog, Horse, Tiger, Boar, Ram, and Hare. Every day, you will practice doing these in different combinations until you can do them both perfectly and at extremely high speeds. I will stand in front of you and make corrections.

"But there is more to learning chakra than that. As you have already learned, you need chakra control exercises so that you can do as much with as little chakra as possible. This will hopefully keep you from getting chakra exhaustion out in the field. If, on the other hand, you have great control and very little chakra, doing ninjutsu or chakra control exercises over and over again will strengthen your chakra.

"So I will show you three chakra exercises. Remember with each of them, chakra is partly spiritual energy, so keeping a calm, at peace, determined Zen mindset and not getting frustrated is very important. Those exercises is why we're out in this field."

They were in a forest training area with a shallow pond nearby.

"First is this. Tree walking." Anko made a hand seal. Her feet glowed blue and she began calmly walking up the side of a tree. "You channel chakra into your feet, supposedly the hardest place to channel chakra, and you use the chakra like glue to walk up sideways surfaces. Get a running start and mark your highest point each time you try it with a kunai knife. When you have reached the top of the tree, you have mastered the exercise.

"Next is this. Water walking." She went over to the shallow pond; her feet glowed blue again and she began walking atop the water. "This is level two: keeping yourself steady over unsteady surfaces.

"And this is level three." Anko took up a leaf and it began bending on its own in the flat palm of her hand. "Leaf bending. Coat the leaf with your chakra and force it to move without touching it. Once you have mastered these three exercises, you have mastered chakra control.

"These exercises will not only help you strengthen your chakra and conserve energy, but they can also make you stronger and faster. After this, channeling chakra in your legs and arms to make yourselves faster and stronger will be child's play, and you should always practice it when you spar or battle.

"So, with that, let's begin. Go through the different levels. Teaching yourselves calm here will train you to keep calm during spars or battles.

"GO!"

Steady, calm, and determined, the girls began running toward their respective trees with kunai.

* * *

Sakura easily had the best chakra control. She made it through all three levels quickly. Hinata was right behind her, and Ino was shortly after that. All three had family techniques that required great chakra control.

"You have great control, but not very much chakra," said Anko. "Keep doing these techniques until you're exhausted every day and your strength will improve."

Slowly, the girls' training began paying off. Their hand seals became lightning-fast and perfect, their spars quickly became blurs of speed, and they became even calmer and more determined in other areas of their training.

Anko thought it was about time to teach them ninjutsu. They were ready.

* * *

"Okay, now I teach you a few chakra-based arts," said Anko one day. The girls looked excited, and Anko smiled. "First is genjutsu breaking. Genjutsu are illusions. This entails looking vigilantly for little details in your environment that reveal the illusion-based lie. Hinata can see through all genjutsu with her Byakugan eyes anyway, but she should still keep this in mind for the minority of techniques that can fool even the Byakugan."

Hinata nodded calmly.

"Once you have sensed the genjutsu, you move on to disrupting your chakra flow and breaking yourself free of the illusion. I will teach you both steps.

"But chakra isn't just limited to genjutsu breaking. I will also be teaching you four ninjutsu. Ninjutsu are all chakra-based techniques not illusion-based. The first is Transformation."

Anko made a hand seal and suddenly she became the Hokage, a tiny old man with a silver goatee and wood-pipe in red and white robes.

"The second is Clone. This does not make real clones, but after-image illusory clones. Good for psyching an untrained enemy out."

Several clones of the Hokage formed around the original Hokage. Anko let the Transformation dispel in a wave of chakra and she and all her clones became Anko again.

"The third is Replacement. You switch places with something in your immediate environment. Useful for fights."

Anko made a hand seal and a fallen log appeared in her place. Anko was suddenly off to their left side.

"The fourth technique I will teach you is not in the Academy curriculum. But it's a simple, useful little thing I learned in ANBU. It is called Paralysis, and you can use it against several enemies at once."

Anko made a hand seal and suddenly the girls felt their bodies go numb and spring together. Unable to move, they fell over flat on the ground. Just as suddenly, they were released, and they turned around, breathing hard. Anko was standing above them.

"So," she said, in an almost threatening way, smirking. "Shall we begin?"

It took a long time for the girls to master genjutsu breaking and the four main ninjutsu, though Hinata and Sakura had a leg up on the genjutsu breaking. They would show the technique to Anko, one by one, countless times, and she would correct them until they got it right. Sometimes Anko would put them under genjutsu without warning - breaking out of that and discovering it was a true test of their abilities.

But after that, they moved on to other ninjutsu.

"Ninjutsu is one of my specialties," said Anko, "and there are certain ninjutsu I want to show you all. First, you all will learn your elemental affinity. Each person's chakra is connected to a certain element, and they can use that element in a better and more advanced way than the others'. So channel your chakra into this special paper, from a tree that was grown and fed with chakra, and what happens to the paper will determine your affinity. You can find this paper at any basic weapons store."

She handed them each a little card with white paper. They each channeled their chakra into the paper. Sakura's ignited and turned to ash. Ino's split in two. Hinata's turned to dirt and crumbled away.

"Very good," said Anko briskly. "So Sakura is a Fire affinity, Hinata is an Earth affinity, and Ino is a Wind affinity. Come with me."

She led them below the large sandstone Hokage Monument, through a hidden door and into a vast library. It had hundreds of dusty shelves fill to the brim with scrolls and books, and little tables littered here and there where you could sit and study. The walls were stone, lit with flaming torches; the room was dark, cool, and dim. They were obviously underground.

"Welcome to the Konoha Ninja Archives," said Anko. "Never to be shown to outsiders. You come here to get your scrolls on elemental ninjutsu, and other techniques. I am a Water affinity, but you should each specialize in your own affinities."

She pointed to the desk, which was guarded by a dark-green-vested Chuunin. "Go get a library card. You'll have to be looked up first using his computer, in the Konoha database, to ensure you are a registered village citizen, and you will have to go through a chakra scan to determine it's really you.

"After that, feel free to browse for ninjutsu in your elemental affinity to your heart's content."

* * *

"The final thing I am going to teach you is snake summoning," said Anko, back in the training field. "Here is the snake summoning scroll." She held up a long scroll. "You cut your thumb and sign your name in blood. You can then summon snakes. What?" she said when they stared. "I don't make the rules. I just follow 'em."

So they cut their thumbs and signed their names in blood on the snake summoning scroll. Then they made the necessary hand seals. "Summoning Technique!"

In a puff of smoke, revealed there were... three baby snakes.

Anko laughed at their surprised expressions. "Sorry, kiddies, that's all you'll be able to summon for now. Your chakra's not big enough yet. But don't knock the babies - they're even more poisonous than the adults, and small enough that you can hide them in your clothes. Consider the applications.

"And keep on practicing until you can summon bigger snakes."


	15. Chapter 15

15.

 _Hinata POV_

My father taught me the final two Hyuuga clan techniques he had for me, namely the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven and the Gentle Fist Art One Body Blow.

"First is the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven," he said. "This technique utilizes the chakra control gained through Gentle Fist training to release a huge amount of chakra from all the chakra points on the user's body. It is also a defensive manoeuvre to compensate for the Byakugan's blind spot as the released chakra blocks any possible attack on the user. After releasing chakra from every tenketsu in their body, the user then spins rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a rotating shield of chakra around themselves and tossing away any nearby attackers.

"The user can also actively control the size and power of the sphere to suit the situation. This technique is only effective when rotating, since the chakra itself is not enough to stop a physical attack thus if they cannot spin, the user becomes vulnerable. The technique is also capable of reflecting an opponent's chakra against them."

After all my training in releasing chakra from my tenketsu, this technique was actually not terribly difficult. The hard part was being able to balance on the balls of my feet and twirl, the way a ballerina would twirl. I felt very stupid at first, but as my technique got better I gained more confidence.

The One Body Blow was even easier.

"A technique born from our innate ability to expel chakra from every tenketsu on our body, a member of the Hyuuga clan can hit their opponent with a blast of chakra that will send them flying away from the user. It is also shown that this technique can be used with pin-point accuracy to target the weak point of a technique. Any type of technique can be broken through with the One Body Blow."

The only difference between doing this and dispelling chakra from tenketsu was that I had to make all the chakra go in one direction.

At the end, my father said, "Your training is complete… I must admit, I had my doubts about you, Hinata. But you have turned out quite well."

I smiled. "Thank you, Father."

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"Your final technique is the Mind Body Attack," said my father. "This means you reach the user's mind, as in mind reading, and create a full-frontal psychic assault, rampaging through their emotions and memories and eventually driving them insane. This, too, requires eye contact."

This he had to practice with me through clones he had no mental connection to. I knew when I'd gotten the technique correct, because the clone just sat there, eyes blank, drooling.

I stared at it in discomfort.

"Some of our clan's techniques are quite vicious and unconscionable," said my father solemnly. "You must understand this."

I gazed at the blank-eyed clone in the dark.

* * *

 _Sakura POV_

My final lesson was in having the victims of my genjutsu kill each other. I had to fight my mother's clones until I finally tricked them into destroying each other, each given the mirage that the other was me.

"Think of the applications," said my mother, intense. "Comrades killing comrades. Siblings killing siblings. Parents killing children."

I did not seem to feel the same excitement for this that she did.

* * *

"Sakura? You're eating that little _again_?" Ino asked incredulously.

I smiled weakly. "I just… haven't been hungry lately." I avoided her eye. I almost missed the serious look Ino and Anko gave each other.

We started our runs, but for some reason I wasn't feeling my best. My breath got shorter and shorter, my head spinning, until finally I heard cries as I blacked out.

* * *

I woke up to a splash of cold water. Anko was bending over me, unreadable. Hinata and Ino had continued their run.

"You passed out," my Sensei said.

"Oh," I said, sitting up, humiliated. _Fainting_? Really?

"Sakura, you should not be on a diet." I froze. "You're too small already."

How did she always _know_?

"But Sensei!" I protested, looking up. "I look terrible. I'm too big but I'm shaped like a boy!"

"You mean you're muscular and your breasts and butt are really small and of the same basic width."

"Well, yeah, but -" I paused in surprise. Put that way, it didn't sound so bad.

"Sakura, no kunoichi should be on a diet. Not eating plus exercise leads to fainting which out in the field means death. You are a slim, muscular girl, and there is nothing wrong with that. You don't look ugly at all."

"My forehead -!"

"Your bangs cover your forehead. The only person it's obvious to is _you_."

I stopped, thinking.

"Now go eat some lunch," said Anko-sensei, standing up and walking away.

* * *

 _Ino POV_

"He's _so_ hot," I was enthusing out in the field to my teammates. "Sexy, smooth, arrogant, self confident… He's like walking sex."

"So why don't you go up and talk to him? Ask him out?"

I whirled around to find Anko standing there.

"You know, Sensei," I said, irritated. "Nobody likes eavesdropping."

"It's my job to make sure my students are doing okay," said Anko. "You met him through dancing, right?"

"Yeah…" I said. I looked away and muttered, "I _guess_ I could talk to him…" But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.

So next time at the studio before dancing classes started, I walked up to him, feeling surprisingly shy. With my shoulders hunched and my hands twisted around each other, I felt more like Hinata, or Sakura.

"Hey, Takeshi," I said, "I was wondering… Do you… want to go out with me? Maybe a nice, casual date to a coffee place or something like that?"

He stared at me and I blushed, wincing.

"It… it was just an idea and I thought…"

"Sorry," he said flatly. "I'm not interested." And he began to walk away.

"Hey!" I called after him, suddenly irritated. "Can I at least get a 'why not?!'"

He looked back over his shoulder. "First, because I'm two years older than you," he said. "And second, because I'm _gay_."

I ended up running out of the studio, in tears and thoroughly humiliated, as my swing dance teacher called after me, "Wait, Ino!"

I cried up in my room for a while. My mother silently made my favorite dinner, and the next day when my team found out they skipped working out and took me out for an ice cream.

"I feel so _stupid_ ," I muttered, Sakura and Hinata's hands on my shoulders.

I ended up switching dance studios. It was too embarrassing having to look at him all the time.

* * *

 _Hinata POV_

"You know, Hyuuga, if you wear one more giant sweatshirt, I'm going to take you all out shopping. Oh wait I'm already doing that anyway."

All three girls looked up in surprise and excitement.

"What? You all need a new kunoichi look. Your Genin test is coming up."

Hinata looked down. "Sensei…" She fiddled with the edges of her sweatshirt. "I'm just self conscious about my body…"

Ino and Sakura were surprised.

"What?"

"No, Hinata, you look great!"

"I just… My boobs and bust are really big," said Hinata, blushing.

"Well, yeah," said Anko. "So are mine. Guys like that."

Hinata looked up hopefully. "Really? So you don't think showing off my body would be too… forward?"

"I think every girl in the world should feel comfortable showing off her body, especially if she's worked hard keeping it healthy," said Anko. "Which you have. You're sexy, girl. Work it.

"Now let's go shopping."

* * *

 _All POV_

She taught them a lot about fashion that day, mostly by taking them along Konoha's fashion district, which was a paving stone lined road with glittering windows and swirling lemon and lime colored roofs.

First, she taught them which clothing colors and makeup shades went well with their complexions. "This is important for when you're choosing kimono for seduction missions as much as it is for kunoichi wear," said Anko. She also showed them how to apply makeup. Then she taught them about what kinds of clothes to wear with their body types, and what kinds of hairstyles to wear for their face shapes.

They each got a series of new kunoichi outfits, a new haircut, and makeup.

Hinata wore a bright burgundy flowing dress that banded at the waist. She wore pink jasmine lip gloss, cool spice blush, and graphite eyeliner. She cut most of her hair off, creating short, bouncy curls.

Ino wore a soft violet structured shirtdress with sleeves. She wore sweet pea red lipstick, wild rose blush, and smoke eyeliner. Her hair was in a long sidesweep.

Sakura wore a medium turquoise dropped waist dress. Her lipstick was poppy red, her blush was peach, and her eyeliner was cornflower. She cut all her hair off in a pixie haircut.

With their weapons pouches tied to their bare legs, they were true kunoichi at last.

* * *

 _Author's Note:_

This is the end of book one. I could not have written this book without a number of research credits, including:

Cosmopolitan

Bustle

Wikipedia

Naruto wiki

beinggirl

WebMD and teens WebMD

IndiaTimes

divinecaroline

hopeforhealing

 _The Tea Ceremony_ by Sen'o Tanaka

 _Ikebana: The Art of Arranging Flowers_ by Shozo Sato

 _Sensational Knowledge: Embodying Culture Through Japanese Dance_ by Tomie Hahn

 _Shodo: The Quiet Art of Zen Calligraphy_ by Shozo Sato

 _Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind_ by Shunryu Suzuki

"Your Private Parts: A Lesson in Female Anatomy" by Theresa O'Rourke

"Women Don't Pee Out of Their Vaginas, and Other Little-Known Facts" by Ceridwin Morris

"10 Tips On How to Drink All Night Without Getting Drunk" by Mansi Kohli

"Ciphers vs Codes" from khanacademy

 _The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art_ by Stephen K Hayes

"12 Outdoor Survival Skills Every Guy Should Master" by Nick Davidson

And countless fashion sources where I got little tidbits here and there.

I will put a message up on this story when book two is available. Thanks for reading!


	16. Book Two Is Up!

Note:

I have posted book two. It should be available sometime in the next half hour.


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